


We Are Family

by Nightwingingiit



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Astrid is jealous, Original Character(s), completely self indulgent, who is this chick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 16:12:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 22,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16876035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightwingingiit/pseuds/Nightwingingiit
Summary: Astrid returns from an overnight trip to find Hiccup hanging around with another girl and a mysterious dragon terrorizes Berk. Hiccup questions his position as leader after an accident rattles the riders.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old story I wrote a while ago that I decided to rewrite and transfer from fanfiction.net. I'm working on transferring all my old stories I like to beef up this account.

Hiccup waited on the dock watching the still far away ship approach. Earlier that day his father had told him of its arrival. Hiccup was excited, but a little bit nervous.

These newcomers were friends of Berk, but they had not visited since before Hiccup met his dragon, Toothless, and changed life on Berk forever.

Hiccup had turned a dragon killing island into a dragon riding island, and there was no telling how the visitors were going to react. Stoic had ordered all dragons to remain out of sight until the situation could be explained fully, and who best to do the job?

Hiccup.

Hiccup sighed in exasperation as the boat continued to move slowly towards port. Stoic came down to stand next to his son.

"Are you ready, Hiccup?"

"To convince a bunch of dragon hating vikings that 'no it's OK we like dragons now!' Yeah I'm great Dad."

"You'll be fine, you did it once already, remember?"

Hiccup remembered. He remembered almost losing Toothless, having to battle a huge monster of death, nearly dying, and waking up missing a limb.

"Yes, and that was a piece of cake…" Hiccup muttered.

* * *

Keila watched as the shore came closer and closer. She hadn't been to Berk in so long. It felt like it had been forever since her family had left the island to help solidify the bond between the Viking tribes of Berk and Rus.

This had been her home once, and so it would be again. The ship would make port and leave the next day after a short meeting of the chiefs, but Keila would not be leaving with it.

Rus was no longer somewhere she felt safe. At least on Berk she knew she would protected and she wouldn't have to worry about the one thing that scared her most.

Dragons.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup shifted the weight off his prosthetic leg and breathed a shuddering breath. He wished his friends were around, well some of them. He missed Toothless, his dragon and best friend, who would help him relax, and Astrid, his friend…girlf- anyway she would give him advice, or hit him, maybe both…probably both.

But Toothless was staying out of sight in Hiccup's room and Astrid had left the day before on an overnight trip.

The visiting vikings filed off the boat. Each greeting Stoick with respect and occasionally nodding towards Hiccup.

A tall, muscular viking stepped ashore and pulled Stoick into a bracing hug.

"Stoick the Vast, my old friend." The man clapped Stoick on the shoulder.

"Garknot the Wing-splitter." Stoick nearly whispered the last part, but it didn't matter, Hiccup knew the stories about this viking.

He had become allies with the tribe of Berk by helping stop a herd of dragons from ravaging Berk. According to the stories he had at one point in the battle been cornered by three dragons and he defeated them by slicing one of the dragon's wings up the middle. The dragon had been so disoriented it spun out of control and knocked the other two dragons off a nearby cliff.

The viking was cordial enough, but he was known as a very talented dragon killer.

"Ah, and young Hiccup from what I've heard you've become quite the dragon conqueror yourself. From the stories I would have thought you were…well bigger…but I guess you always were a small one."

Hiccup bristled at the comment, but pushed passed it. He had to make a good impression."Yes…uh…sir. Actually there's something I need to discuss-"

"Ah, Hiccup don't you think we should let guests relax for a moment in the Hall before we jump into business. Don't ya think?" Stoick said.

"Ah, yes Stoick I agree, but first there is something that I think you should know…"

Someone stepped up behind Garknot. It was a girl around Hiccup's age and height. She had brown hair that was messily tied into a braid. Strands of hair fell around her face framing in her fair skin, freckles, and blueish green eyes that were very familiar.

"Keila?" Hiccup said in disbelief.

"Hiccup?" Keila said a smile forming on her face.

"W-wow I had no idea you were coming to! It's so good to see you! Wh-what about your parents? Are they here too?" Hiccup said hugging her.

Keila's eyes immediately were downcast, and Hiccup knew something was wrong.

Garknot cleared his throat. "They…um…gone. Killed in an attack."

Hiccup's breath seemed to stop and everyone got very quiet. Keila looked like she might cry.

Death was something that was common to vikings, especially when dealing with dragons, but Keila and her family were good people and Hiccup had been close to them when he was little.

Stoick broke the silence, "Yes…well let us go up to the Hall. It seems there is much to discuss." He looked like he was holding back a lot of emotions, then again he was a viking, emotion wasn't exactly something he was good at, unless it was anger.

Stoick had been very close friends with Keila's father, even before he had married her mother. Hiccup could only imagine his father's thoughts at the moment.

They trudged up to the Hall quietly. Hiccup let Keila lean on him and Stoick and Garknot seemed to be discussing what had happened to her parents. From what Hiccup could hear a red dragon had attacked their ship while they were out scouting. The dragon had been so fast they hadn't even seen it coming till it was right on top of them. They couldn't tell what it was either. The dragon was driven away but the ship was destroyed and sank.

Hiccup inhaled sharply.

Keila looked like she was trying not to listen. She, like Hiccup, had never been what you'd call a killer. She had always been gentle and soft-hearted. While you couldn't call her a coward by any means, she had never been very strong or particularly fierce. Now she looked just broken.

Hiccup thought he knew a way to cheer her up, but first he had to convince everyone that dragons weren't the killers everyone thought. Of course, now that would be even harder, it seemed.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeing Hiccup again had made Keila a little happier. After all they had been best friends when they were little, she just wished it was under different circumstances.

Everyone gathered in Berk's Great Hall and greeted old friends while getting some food and drink.

Hiccup looked a little nervous to her. Some of his friends came and sat down with them. It took a moment, but Keila began to remember their names.

The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who when they were 5 used to set just about as many fires as dragons had.

The large yet lovable Fishlegs, the guy couldn't hurt a fly.

And Snotlout who was well…"Why hello there." He winked at Keila.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Keila wondered if any of them would remember her, they had never exactly been friends.

"Who is your friend Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked.

"Don't you guys recognize her? It's Keila, my -"

Stoick yelled over everyone to be heard.

"Quiet down! Quiet down everyone!"

The rumble of vikings voices subsided. Everyone turned to face Stoick.

"Today we gather and celebrate old friends and alliances, and to honor those who can't be with us." Keila looked down.

"Now friends there is something we must discuss. This is not going to be easy, but I hope you will keep an open mind. Son?"

Hiccup gulped next to Keila and stood up. He went to stand in front of the Hall.

"Um…Hello…I'm Hiccup and I wanted to talk to you about…dragons."

The visitors in the hall watched Hiccup questioningly. The way he spoke unnerved them a bit. Hiccup realized there was nothing he could do but just say it straight.

"We uh...we don't kill dragons on Berk anymore."


	3. Chapter 3

The hall erupted in shouts of questions and protests. Garknot shouted loudest of all.

"Stoick what is this?! Is this some joke?"

The visitors from Rus seemed very confused and disgruntled. The people of Berk tried to come to Hiccup's aid. There shouts from both sides and the sound of the vikings became deafening.

"Please, just let me explain! Listen to me! Oh come on!"

Hiccup ran back and forth raising his voice. Finally Stoick came to his aid.

"QUIET!" He yelled striking his axe into the nearest table.

Everyone went silent, but looks of confusion were on almost everyone's faces. Ruff and Tuff looked disappointed that a fight hadn't broken out. Keila looked downright scared.

"Thanks Dad. Listen everyone please. This isn't easy to understand I know, but please just let me show you." Hiccup said as calmly as he could manage.

Hiccup started to explain how he brought down a Night Fury, and hadn't been able to finish the job. He explained how within the coming weeks he slowly learned more and more about the dragon and eventually befriended it.

The whole hall scoffed.

Hiccup continued to explain how he learned to tame dragons and eventually ride them.

He had everyone's attention now.

"They aren't what we thought they were, they protect themselves. That's all."

_Whoa déjà vu_ , Hiccup thought.

Half the Rusians seemed interested, the other half still looked unconvinced.

Garknot started laughing, the rest of the Rusians erupted in laughter with him, "Oh you had me Stoick, you did! Stoick the Vast making peace with dragons. This boy…taming a Night Fury. That's a good one!"

"It's no joke, Garknot." Stoick rumbled.

Hiccup sighed and put his fingers to his lips and whistled as loud as he could.

Outside whining roar could be heard and the doors of the great hall burst open and a blur of black scales raced towards Hiccup and tackled him.

All the visitors from Rus were on their feet weapons in hand. Ruff and Tuff looked excited again. Stoick held Garknot back as Hiccup pushed Toothless off and used the dragon's head to pull himself to his feet.

"Hey bud. It's okay." Hiccup crooned as he held Toothless trying to keep him calm.

Toothless's eyes narrowed and he snarled as he turned and put himself between Hiccup and the weapons that now filled the hall. Hiccup edged forward and rubbed Toothless on the head and said softly, "It's okay, it's okay."

Toothless turned and purred at Hiccup.

"Put your weapons away." Stoick ordered looking straight into the stunned eyes of Garknot. The old viking stared at Stoick as if if he were trying to gauge if the chief was serious.

"Away." Stoick reiterated.

Garknot waved to his people and they all reluctantly sheathed their weapons. Hiccup looked at Garknot and tried not to think about the fact that the man was at least two times Hiccup's size.

"Sir, if you would just let me show you." Hiccup carefully stepped over to the Rusian chief with Toothless following behind him.

Hiccup motioned for the chief's hand and pulled him over to Toothless. Toothless waited patiently as the chief stared at the dragon obvious apprehension in his face.

Everyone in the room held their breath. Time seemed to pass slowly as the Chief slowly reached towards the dragon and then pulled back again.

Finally Stoick had had enough, "Oh for the love of Odin!" Stoick grabbed Garknot's hand and put it on Toothless's snout.

Garknot froze and got very tense. Toothless looked up at the chief and over to Hiccup. He started to look a little impatient. Hiccup just nodded in encouragement. Garknot scanned the dragon and felt the softness of his nose. The chief started to relax ever so slightly. Then suddenly Toothless inhaled sharply and Garknot tensed up again pulling back. Toothless sneezed, and then cocked his head to the side and looked up at the burly chief.

Garknot burst into laughter, and slapped Stoick on the back. Hiccup exhaled in relief. Everyone in the hall seemed to relax and get excited again. "Boy, I want to hear more about these dragons." Garknot boomed.

Hiccup smiled out at the crowd and searched the tables for his friends, they would need to go get the arena ready for Garknot and his warriors to come over. He found them, but he realized someone was missing. Keila had been sitting with them, but now she was gone.

* * *

Keila pulled her knees to her chest and gave a shuddery breath. She scratched the thin white scar that lined her wrist and disappeared under her sleeve.

She felt ashamed of herself. She had trembled while listening to Hiccup's story, and when the dragon came in…it's amazing she hadn't screamed when she ran out. She had thought she was going to be safe on Berk, but it looked like not only were there dragons here…they were welcome.

She started to reconsider her decision to move back to Berk.

She ran her fingers through the soil and wished her parents were still around, and that she wasn't so afraid all the time.

"Keila?"

Keila jumped and yelped at the voice. She turned around to see Hiccup holding his hands out. "Hey it's ok, I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you!"

Keila relaxed, "It's okay."

"Where did you go? You missed Toothless sneezing all over Garknot." Hiccup smiled.

Keila laughed nervously, "Oh…funny."

"Are you ok? You seem a little…freaked out."

"Yeah…yeah it's nothing…" Keila brushed it off and put on a fake smile. She knew she couldn't fool him forever, he knew her too well.

"I'm really sorry to hear about your parents…they were great." Hiccup said softly.

"Yeah…" Keila leaned back against some crates and jumped when they rattled forward. A rumbling moan came from the other side. She looked up and came face to face with two huge green cat eyes swimming in a sea of black scales, a Night Fury.

Keila flung herself away and screamed, pulling out her dagger.

Hiccup jumped up between them and pushed Toothless back, "It's okay, it's okay! Toothless! You scared her! Sorry about that he tends to do that. There's really nothing to be…scared…of." Hiccup got a really good look at Keila's face and saw the terror in her eyes, her raised dagger.

"Keila…are…are you afraid of dragons?"

 


	4. Chapter 4

Hiccup looked at Keila's face, he had never seen her this scared, even when they had been little. She had always liked the dragons when they were small, she said they were pretty. Hiccup remembered when they used to hide under the bed during attacks she'd always tried to sneak out and see. She had been the reason Hiccup started to get interested in dragons when they were kids.

They had grown up together, and while Hiccup had never considered himself to exactly have been a coward, he'd always thought Keila to be the braver one. Hiccup had been clever and while Keila had been gentle she had usually been just crazy enough to go along with Hiccup's schemes.

But, now Hiccup saw a look on the girl's face that he never imagined he'd see on her. It was pure terror. He thought about the last time he had seen her. It had been a little less than three years since their last visit.

Keila's family had moved away to Rus when Hiccup and Keila were both almost six years old, but they came back to visit every few years.

On their last visit they had both been about ten years old. Hiccup had immediately dragged Keila off to show her his drawings and how good he was getting in Gobber's forge. They snuck off and went exploring. When they came back they were laughing and having so much fun they hardly noticed that the village was in full alert. Dragons had set the eastern side of the village on fire and everyone was busy trying to put out the fire and bring down the dragons.

Keila had gotten really excited and grabbed Hiccup's hand and went to find the tallest tree they could climb so they would be able to see the dragons. Long story short the tree ended up getting knocked down with the kids inside it. They weren't hurt too bad, Keila had a broken wrist, and Hiccup had a bump on his head, and both of their ears were ringing from the screaming lecture they were given by Stoick and Keila's father. Hiccup remembered the gist, they were both too small, and they shouldn't be outside, and what were they doing in that tree, and they could have been killed.

Keila never even flinched, she was having the time of her life, Hiccup had seen it in her eyes.

This girl before him now, was not that girl.

"Keila, it's ok. Toothless couldn't hurt a fly. You don't have to be scared of him." Hiccup said softly.

Toothless grunted in disagreement. Hiccup shot him a look. Keila still looked scared.

"Keila come-"

"Make it go away."

Hiccup was taken aback, "Um."

"Make it go away, I know you can." Keila said shakily, not taking her eyes away from Toothless.

Hiccup turned to Toothless and waved him away, Toothless looked at him questioningly. "Go on bud we'll catch up."

Toothless bounded away at that, and Hiccup turned back to Keila.

"Keila, what happened to you?"

Keila tore her eyes away from the spot Toothless had just occupied and glanced at Hiccup before looking down at her hands. "Everyone's afraid of dragons Hiccup, don't be ridiculous." She mumbled.

"You never were." Hiccup sat down on the ground in front of her, his artificial leg clicking into place. Keila stared at his leg for a minute, Hiccup wondered if this was the first time she had noticed it since she had arrived. Keila scoffed, catching Hiccup off guard.

"How'd that happen Hicc? One of your schemes? So I'm guessing I was actually right about the axe-apult?" Keila chuckled. She was trying to change the subject.

Hiccup looked offended, "Hey that axe-apult was a great idea you were the only one-"

"-and your dad, and Gobber-"

"-would've revolutionized how vikings fought dragons-"

"-definitely would've given Gobber a lot of business in the prosthetic department."

"Besides that's not even what happened!"

"Well then, what did?"

Keila crossed her arms and stared him down with her eyebrow raised. Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, remember the story I was telling in hall?"

Keila nodded.

Hiccup told her how in order to make peace with the dragons there was a battle against a dragon that had been controlling them all. Hiccup and Toothless had led the other teens in an effort to bring the massive dragon down.

"Toothless damaged it inside and we led it into a dive that it couldn't pull out of. When we were trying to escape from the fire the dragon's tail hit Toothless and I fell off and was knocked out. I don't exactly know what happened after that. The last thing I remember is falling, and then waking up in my room days later. My dad won't talk about it much, but he thinks Toothless tried to catch me and he accidentally-"

"So that dragon took your leg, it almost killed you and you hang out with it? You keep it as a pet? It lives in your house, Hiccup are you insane?" Keila stared at Hiccup like she seriously was considering his mental stability.

"Toothless saved my life, Keila! If he hadn't caught me I would have died." Hiccup said an edge creeping into his tone.

Keila started to argue but stopped and looked down as if she were searching for words. Hiccup leaned forward to look into her face.

"Alright, I answered your question. Now, I asked you first, what happened?"

Keila looked down at her hands and stumbled for words she looked up at Hiccup and he could tell she was struggling.

"Hiccup I was there when my parents were killed. Garknot told your dad they were scouting, but really they…that dragon came out of nowhere. It wasn't provoked we didn't attack it or anything. You said they protect themselves…"

Hiccup nodded,"That's right."

"Wrong!"

"That dragon came out of nowhere and attacked my parents' boat and they weren't prepared for an attack from a dragon that big so they decided to try and get away. It chased them and tore the ship apart. It wasn't protecting itself! It was slaughter! And I had a great view from the shore."

"Keila-"

"Hiccup, I hate dragons and nothing you can say will change my mind." Keila rubbed her arm.

Hiccup started to say something else but they were interrupted by the flutter of wings. Keila's eyes widened and her hand tightened on her dagger. Fishlegs landed behind them on his dragon Meatlug and it looked like Toothless was coming up behind them.

"Uh…hey Fishlegs what's up?" Hiccup said putting a hand on Keila's.

"Hiccup everyone is waiting up at the Academy for you, Snotlout said he could stall them-"

"Ah…ok, ok we're coming."

Hiccup turned to Keila. "Keila come to the Academy with me, let me prove to you that dragons aren't what you think."

Keila stared at Hiccup obviously unconvinced.

"Uh…Hiccup? We should get going." Fishlegs

Hiccup sighed, the fastest way up to the Academy was flying and Keila wasn't getting on any dragon's back anytime soon.

"Meet us up there Keila, you'll see." Hiccup said as he walked over to Toothless.

"Hiccup she probably won't make it up there before dark, and by then everyone will be coming back." Fishlegs whispered from Meatlug's back. Toothless snorted as if he was bored with the whole topic, and then suddenly he took off in Keila's direction.

Toothless charged her, Keila screamed and at first held out her knife but then scrambled to her feet to try and get away.

Hiccup grabbed at Toothless's head and tried to pull him up. "Toothless what are you doing, you are just making it worse!"

Toothless took off. He flew above Keila and swooped down and picked her up in his claws. He lifted her up into the air and she dropped her dagger. Hiccup relaxed a little, he understood what Toothless was thinking now, he thought. Keila was crying and screaming.

"Careful, Toothless. Don't drop her. Keila it's okay!" Hiccup called down to her. They turned towards the academy. Toothless continued to ascend, though. "Hey bud getting a little high up, aren't we?"

Keila started to calm down a little, that is until Toothless dropped her.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Hiccup was in shock for a moment before he was able to register what had just happened. Keila was falling and Toothless was just shaking his head like he was waiting for Hiccup.

"Toothless! Why…oh I don't have time to yell at you! Dive Toothless!"

Toothless shot into a nose-dive headed for Keila. She was flailing and panicking and Hiccup knew it was going to be hard for her to relax enough for him to catch her.

"Keila we are coming!" Hiccup shouted, but he was afraid his voice was lost in the wind. Keila suddenly stopped flailing and she just put her arms out straight and let the wind carry her. She whooped excitedly.

Hiccup sighed and angled Toothless to dive under her. For a moment she was that fearless girl he remembered, the one who had once dared Hiccup to dive off the tallest cliffs in Berk when they were eight.

Hiccup swooped under her and reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. Her face while tear streaked was bright and joyful.

"Let's do that again." She said pushing back from Hiccup's embrace. Hiccup smiled and helped her to settle in behind him. She was shaking, but it looked like she was OK, and once she had realized there was nothing she could do she seemed to just resign herself to the fall.

She hugged tight to Hiccup's back and he could feel her starting to cry a little again, but now, inexplicably, she didn't seem as afraid of Toothless. Either that or now she just excepted that if she wanted to be back on the ground she would have to trust the dragon for now.

* * *

She could see the arena over Hiccup's shoulder now. She felt like she was probably hugging him a little tight, but she didn't care.

She couldn't believe she was actually riding a dragon. Every instinct inside her was screaming at her to run, but where? There was nothing she could do.

The dragon kept looking back at her with big eyes, like he was checking on her. Fishlegs and his Gronkel flew nearby to them.

She had to admit after she stopped freaking out the fall had been kind of fun. Hiccup was so relaxed up here, she didn't understand how he could trust these dragons so much. Of course now she had no choice but to trust the one she rode now. Hiccup had apologized three times now for his dragon dropping her. She kept saying she was fine, but she was really shaken.

They pulled up and landed smoothly in front of the entrance of the arena. The small group of Rusians were standing outside the arena waiting for them accompanied by a few people from Berk, including Stoick and Gobber. She lunged away from the dragon almost before they even hit the ground.

Hiccup came running after her, hands out, "It's okay, it's okay. Toothless didn't mean it, it was an accident! Right Toothless?"

The dragon looked guiltily at Hiccup. "Oh yes he did." Keila said under her breath. She curled her fingers around the other dagger she had on her defensively.

She didn't take her eyes off Toothless. Stoick and the others approached, the two chiefs looked slightly concerned. They ignored Snotlout who was prattling away about his supposed skill to them.

"Hiccup is everything all right?"

"Uh… yeah Dad…fine." Hiccup looked at Keila, concerned.

Everyone was on edge from watching Keila. She was staring Toothless down, with eyes full of fear and rage. Hiccup tried to distract everyone.

"Welp okay then let's get started shall we?" Hiccup waved everyone towards the arena, Toothless moved to follow him. Keila jumped and held her knife out. Everyone held their positions and watched her carefully. Toothless paused and looked at her.

Hiccup tensed up, Toothless didn't like having knives pointed at him. "Keila…"

Toothless looked Keila up and down and chirped softly. Keila lifted her knife.

Toothless then did something that threw Keila off guard. He bowed his head, and looked at her with soft eyes, it was almost like he was apologizing.

Keila lowered her knife out of pure shock. Hiccup looked back and forth between the dragon and the girl. Toothless crept forward with his head low.

He crooned softly to her as he approached, Keila shivered in her spot. Hiccup chuckled to himself as he watched Toothless.

He stepped to Keila and put his hand on hers. She resisted a little as he slid the knife out of her hand and threw it away. Hiccup slowly lifted her hand slowly as Toothless got close. She balled her hand and tried to pull away, but Hiccup squeezed her hand reassuringly. Toothless offered his nose to pet. Hiccup led her to press her knuckles onto the dragon's nose.

Keila cringed at first and then spread out her fingers and felt the dragon's smooth snout. She could feel his breath under her fingers and the thrumming warmth that he exuded. She relaxed slowly and didn't even realize that Hiccup had let her go. She was touching Toothless by herself.

The Russians cheered and their chief spoke enthusiastically to Stoick about the possibilities of riding dragons. Hiccup stood next to Keila smiling. Keila turned to him without moving her hand.

"Ok Hiccup…teach me about dragons."

 


	6. Chapter 6

Astrid patted Stormfly's scales as they neared the island. "Almost home, girl."

It had been a long trip and Astrid was ready to be home. She had left early the morning before to check on the different islands and see how all the different dragon habitats were holding up. She was also supposed to keep an eye for the white dragon they called the Screaming Death.

If the others had come with her it wouldn't have taken so long, but Hiccup had to stay on Berk and wait for the visitors and he needed help with his demonstration.

Snotlout and the twins would most likely create chaos wherever they went, Fishlegs might have been able to handle it, but his dragon was slow and he would have slowed anyone else going down, and plus if Astrid was going Hiccup needed at least one semi-sane person to help him wrangle the dragons, and the other three.

In the Astrid was the only one who could be trusted to take on the task alone, without getting into too much trouble. Stormfly was also the fastest dragon in the group next to Toothless and it would only take her about a day to take care of business.

All in all the trip had been pretty quiet, the islands were pretty calm and there was no sign of the monster dragon.

Astrid leaned forward and whispered to her dragon. "Come on girl let's go. There's fresh chicken waiting in that direction!"

They sped off in the direction of the island.

Astrid loved flying and couldn't believe that only about a year and a half ago she had been prepared to become a dragon killer. She guessed she had Hiccup to thank for that, although she never told him that, probably never would. It would just go to his head anyway.

When the reached the island Astrid decided to find Hiccup before doing anything else. She flew past the port where the visitors were packing up their ships and preparing to set sail again. Hiccup wasn't there. She flew to the Academy and didn't see Hiccup there either. Fishlegs was there with Meatlug and few of the Rusian visitors, it looked like they were being taught how to bond with a dragon. Astrid sighed, that must mean everything went well.

She landed and hopped off Stormfly's back. She ran into the arena and shouted to Fishlegs, "Hey Fishlegs! Have you seen Hiccup?"

"Oh Astrid! You're back! Hiccup left a little while ago. He is giving a quick lesson before everyone leaves this afternoon. He's around somewhere."

Astrid nodded and ran back to Stormfly. After that it didn't take long for her to find Hiccup. He was demonstrating how he was able to communicate with Toothless in the air. A group of onlookers watched from the ground, including the chiefs of both tribes, and two Thunderdrum dragons, which Astrid recognized as Thornado, Stoick's dragon, and his purple friend they had yet to name.

Hiccup landed and put his hand out to a girl in the crowd. She nervously stepped forward and took his hand. Hiccup led her back to Toothless and they mounted together. Hiccup was shouting instructions to Stoick and the Rusian chief as they mounted their dragons, Rus's chief was a little unsteady, but Astrid hardly noticed. All she noticed was how tight the girl riding with Hiccup was hugging him. She even buried her face into Hiccup's neck.

Astrid sped to meet them as they took off from the ledge. The girl hugged Hiccup even tighter as they left the ground.

"Hiccup!" Astrid called, waving. Hiccup put his hand in the air returning her greeting, "Hey Astrid how'd it go?"

Astrid smiled, "Everything looked ok, and I didn't see the Screaming Death anywhere."

"Great, you can go rest if you want!" Hiccup shouted to her. Astrid considered it for a minute and then saw the girl with Hiccup.

"I think I'll stay and help."

"Ok, but I've got it pretty under con-"

"Don't be silly you could always use my help."

"Uh…ok then."

Hiccup led the group in a lap around one of the sea stacks, telling Astrid to make sure Garknot was balanced enough. The chief was unsteady at first, but his dragon seemed to realize this and fixed himself. The pair was already becoming pretty in sync, and Astrid was able to focus her energy on boring a hole into the girl's back with her glare.

* * *

Keila's neck itched as she got that feeling she was being stared at. She opened her eyes slightly where she sat behind Hiccup and glanced back through her bangs.

Astrid was staring at her and Hiccup like she was ticked off about something. Keila couldn't fathom what, she remembered the girl having a bit of a temper when they were little, but Keila didn't know what she could possibly be mad about.

Keila considered the conversation she had overheard between Astrid and Hiccup the name "the Screaming Death" had stood out to her. She knew the names of almost every dragon in the book and she didn't remember that being on the list. Whatever it was it didn't sound friendly.

They landed and Keila practically flung herself off of Toothless and onto the ground. Toothless looked over at her and sighed as if he was exasperated by her. Hiccup dismounted and helped steady Keila.

"Well, I think you were better that time!" Hiccup rubbed his side, "I think I've only got minor bruises this time."

Keila groaned, "I'm sorry Hiccup, I don't know if I'll ever be-"

Hiccup put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey, hey you're doing fine, it'll take a bit-" Keila squealed a bit as Toothless nudged her, but then she nervously pet his nose.

"See you're already getting more comfortable with Toothless, everything else will…" Hiccup was cut off by Astrid.

"So whose this, Hiccup?" Astrid butted in.

"Um…you don't recognize her? This is Keila, my-"

"So, you are going home today?" Astrid said suddenly to Keila.

"Um, actually I'm staying on Berk. I'm moving back here…actually."

"Moving back?"

"Yeah I…um…used to live here. I was born here actually."

"Oh?" Astrid's tone was leveling on accusatory now.

"Yeah…um…she's going to stay with me and my dad until something else can be figured out." Hiccup said carefully.

Astrid looked murderous for a split second and then she became very calm. "Well Hiccup I will see you at dinner."

"What the hell was that all about?" Keira asked pushing Toothless back.

"I don't know."

 


	7. Chapter 7

Keila followed Hiccup into the Great Hall after they had said goodbye to the Rusians. Garknot had hugged Keila and told her she was always welcome on Rus. The Rusians left being escorted by their chief on his new thunder drum and three of the other vikings riding new dragons. They now knew how to approach wild dragons and would be able to train them for themselves. It would take a while for them to learn how to live with dragons, but that was something they would have to do on their own.

Keila sat at one of the long tables after grabbing some food and Hiccup sat across from her. "Just think one day that'll be you riding your own dragon."

Keila scoffed, "You don't really believe that, do you? I can hardly handle being around a tame dragon let alone ride one on my own."

"Hey, you'll get there you are already so much better around dragons , at first you didn't care tamed or not, but now you know not all dragons are bad. Like Toothless you like him and he wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Hiccup he dropped me in midair on purpose."

"Um…"

More people sat around them including Hiccup's friends they all began talking together and telling stories. Hiccup started trying to pick a dragon for Keila to try. Everyone started throwing in their bids for their favorite dragons. Keila smiled happy she was already part of the group.

* * *

Astrid walked up to the hall alone after feeding Stormfly. When she walked in her face heated up with jealousy as she saw that the new girl Keira was sitting in her place at their table and all of her friends including Hiccup were sitting around her. It was like Astrid had been replaced. She growled under her breath and started walking towards them.

They were all laughing at a joke someone had told and Hiccup looked up and saw Astrid, "Hey Astrid over here!"

Astrid tried to act normal as she walked over. "Hey Astrid, we were just working on trying to decide on a dragon Keila could try to ride."

Astrid looked Keila up and down with disdain. "Well Nadder's are the best but I don't think she handle the sheer power of one, what with those noodle arms."

Keila scrunched up her eyebrows a little and blinked, like she was trying to take that in, even though she didn't want to hear it. It bugged Astrid this girl reminded her so much of someone, but she couldn't pinpoint who.

Hiccup look at Astrid with questioning eyes, he didn't understand why she was acting like this. "Ok then…" he said. Quickly the conversation returned everyone else promoting their favorites again and Keila just smiled and shook her head. Astrid was disgusted. She sat there with her chin on her fist for a while until she had had enough and she abruptly pushed away from the table and stormed out.

* * *

Hiccup watched Astrid walk out and sighed, "Uh...I better go see what's up."

Keila stopped, "Um.. Hiccup do you think I could…I get the feeling it's something I've done."

Hiccup scrunched his eyebrows, "What could you have done? She hasn't even known you for more than ten minutes?"

"I don't know, but I feel like she's mad at me for some reason."

"Ok…well, be careful Astrid has a bit of a temper." Hiccup said.

"You ever said that to her face?" Keila asked

"No, I don't think so…"

"Good, don't"

Keila walked out of the hall looking for Astrid. She found her with her dragon.

"Um hey…Astrid."

Astrid looked up and her eyes immediately narrowed. She went back to grooming Stormfly and didn't say anything. Keila sighed and looked at Astrid's dragon.

"She's pretty." Keila said still keeping a safe distance between her and the dragon.

Astrid looked at her, "I know." She spit the words out like they tasted bitter.

Keila groaned, "Um.. looked I don't know what I've done especially since we haven't known each other a day… but I'm sorry."

"Oh you know what you did." Astrid snapped.

"Um…no I'm pretty extra sure that I don't." Keila mumbled.

* * *

Astrid couldn't exactly place why this girl irritated her just so much, well besides the fact that she was following Hiccup around like a lost hatchling.

"Ugh…you just you… ugh!" Astrid groaned, "You know what I don't care you and Hiccup can just go flying off into the sunset for all I care."

Keila's eyes widened, "Ohhh…is that what this about? Oh, oh ew! You think Hiccup and I are- Oh ew! Ew! Ew! Astrid there is nothing going on between Hiccup and I... that is just…ew!"

Astrid looked at her questioningly, and for some reason she felt really protective of Hiccup, "What's ew about it? Hiccup is a nice guy! And great with dragons, and anyone would be lucky to-"

"No, Astrid I don't think you understand! Hiccup is my cousin!"

* * *

 


	8. Chapter 8

Astrid sat for a minute staring at Keila and wondered how she hadn't realized it earlier. Keila's long braided hair was the same oaky brown, the same green eyes, freckles covering her face, the same lanky build, and even the same goofy smile. As Keila waited for Astrid to respond she puffed out her cheeks and looked at the ground, Astrid realized even their mannerisms were the same.

"Whoa…" Astrid remarked.

"Uh yeah…"

* * *

Hiccup looked towards the door for the seventh time in the last twenty minutes. Keila had been gone for a long time. He hoped Astrid hadn't dropped her off a cliff, but he knew Keila could hold her own pretty well.

He stood and went outside to look for them. As soon as he got outside he heard laughter.

"Oh his face was priceless!"

Both girls were cracking up in front of Astrid's house, while Stormfly preened herself in her stall. As soon as they saw Hiccup they both guffawed one last time before trying to stifle their laughing. They stood and walked towards him, he didn't like the looks on their faces.

Astrid leaned in like she was going to kiss him or something, ok he didn't have a problem with that, he relaxed, and then she slugged him so hard in the arm he lost his balance.

"That's for not telling me she was your cousin!" Astrid said.

Keila stuck her toe behind his prosthetic as he stepped backward and he stumbled to the ground.

"And, that's for…um..well I just thought it looked fun." Keila chuckled.

"Oh great you've teamed up, I'm doomed."

The girls chuckled and Stormfly walked up behind them and screeched as if she was laughing too. Keila screamed and jumped away.

Astrid laughed for a moment and then looked at Keila confused, "You're afraid of dragons?"

Keila looked from Hiccup to Astrid, "Why is that so shocking to you all?"

* * *

"Oof!" Keila slammed into the wall of the arena. The wild Nadder trotted away as if it hadn't just thrown her across the arena. Stars spotted across Keila's vision as Hiccup and Astrid came sprinting toward her.

"Keila!" Hiccup called. Keila fought to regain the breath that was knocked out of her. Astrid helped Keila to her feet.

"Ok, so maybe you're not a Nadder girl." Astrid said.

"No." Keila gasped putting her hands on her knees.

"It wasn't that bad." Hiccup said rubbing his neck.

"I swear he's laughing at me." Keila said watching the Nadder who seemed very proud of what he had done. "No...I don't think so," Astrid said as the dragon gurgled at them, "Ok, yeah, he is. We'll try again."

Keila shook her head, "I don't think so guys, this just isn't...maybe this isn't for me."

"No you'll get the hang of it, we just have to find the right dragon!" Hiccup said.

Keila sighed, "I don't know."

"Hey, at least you're not scared anymore." Astrid said trying to lighten the mood. Keila chuckled nervously. At the edge of the arena the twins played with the lock at the gate of the dragon cage.

"Uh...hello! Are we gonna let this Changewing beat Keila up or not?" Ruff yelled.

"Uh...not!" Hiccup said, his attention on Keila. Toothless bounded up to Keila and nudged her. She smiled and pet his snout.

"See you like Toothless!" Hiccup smiled.

"Yeah, well that's after I realized Toothless isn't even a dragon, he's just a gecko with wings." Keila quipped. Toothless made a sound of protest. "What?" Keila said smiling at the dragon.

"Don't worry we'll find you a dragon." Hiccup reassured her.

Keila groaned as she pushed Toothless down again, "I don't understand why this is so important to you. Why is it?"

Hiccup hesitated, "I-I...uh...I don't... don't you want to...uh?"

"Hiccup...I don't really-" Keila started.

The twins were growing restless, "Now?" Tuff yelled.

"Not now!" Hiccup yelled. He looked at Keila in what seemed to be near disbelief. He was about to question her reasoning (even though he already kinda knew), but then he heard the slamming of the gate as it opened.

The trio turned to see Tuffnut and Ruffnut grinning broadly at each other landholding the gate open.

Astrid jumped right on them, "What do you two dung heads think you are doing?!" They elbowed each other back and forth for a moment and then Tuffnut said, "Oh you said 'not now'?"

Astrid and Hiccup groaned and Keila tensed immediately staring at the opening of the cage. She kept her eyes trained there for almost five minutes while Hiccup and Astrid yelled at Tuffnut and Ruffnut for screwing around during something that was so important. The cage was still open, didn't they realize? The monster inside could come out at any moment. Now that she thought about it, why hadn't it already come out? The others had come barreling out as soon as there was a sliver of an opening, where was this one? What kind of dragon did Hiccup say it was again?

Hiccup glanced over at her and his eyes grew wide, Astrid slowing followed suit copying Hiccup's movements, and the twins grinned.

"What?" Keila said scanning their faces. Then she realized, she froze. She heard the hiss behind her, Changewing...camouflage.

* * *

Keila nursed the new burns on her arm tenderly, as Hiccup furiously flipped through his dragon book.

"There just has to be something we haven't tried." He mumbled.

Keila hissed as she ran a wet cloth over her injuries, "Hiccup we have tried every dragon you have on Berk. And I have been beaten, chewed on, and almost melted by acid, I give up!"

Hiccup turned to face her, "No, there has to be something...you can't...there is a dragon out there-"

"No Hiccup!" Keila groaned, "There isn't. And to be perfectly honest I don't know that I want there to be!"

"What-what how can you say that?" Hiccup stuttered.

"I just did. Hiccup I can't be near most dragons without feeling like I'm going to either going to throw-up, or finally beat the record of running halfway around the island on foot. I will give you that all dragons are not what I thought, I will give you that, but Hiccup I will never be a Rider like you. I will never be able to do what you do."

"No...no, you are my irrationally insane cousin who once tried to test if she could fly if she flapped her arms like a bird when she jumped off a cliff! This is-"

"Not me Hicc, I'm not cut out for this. Even if I wasn't afr..." Keila trailed off.

"Keila-"

At that moment they were interrupted by a loud explosion outside.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Hiccup and Keila ran outside to find the entire village trying to put out the fire that was engulfing two of the storage buildings. They could see dragon riders carrying tarps full of water to drop on the ever rising flames.

Hiccup ran up to one of the villagers, "What happened?"

The viking turned and looked at Hiccup, he looked angry, "Ask that Night Fury of yours!" With that the man ran off to help.

Hiccup looked over at Keila, "Toothless?"

Keila looked back over at the house as Toothless peeked out the front door sleepily. He had been sleeping with his head in Keila's lap for the last hour.

Stoick saw them and came running over, "Hiccup everyone is saying Toothless did this!"

"Well he must be a lot faster than I thought because he's been with us all night." Keila retorted. Stoick looked at Hiccup for conformation, confused. Hiccup nodded.

Stoick scratched his head and looked at the sky as the last flames were being put out."Then what in Thor's-"

Stoick was cut off by a loud screeching noise followed by a high pitched roar. A blast of fire hit the ground and blew some of the villagers back.

"That's no Night Fury!" Hiccup shouted. There was another blast that knocked them off of their feet. Astrid ran over to help them and Toothless and Stormfly growled and sent blasts right back. The sky was illuminated for a moment and the could see the silhouette of the dragon.

"Uh, Hiccup you sure about that?" Keila shouted.

They all stared at the sky. Despite a few obvious differences the dragon's form was almost identical to Toothless's. The wings and tail seemed slightly larger and more angular, but otherwise it did look a lot like a Night Fury.

"Hiccup is it...?" Astrid stopped mid sentence cut off by their dragons' growls.

Hiccup put a hand on Toothless's snout, and looked up squinting trying to see the dark shape of the dragon, "No, it's not a Night Fury, but I don't recognize it."

Keila watched they sky carefully for the dragon to reappear, behind them the villagers groaned and rumbled about having to restock everything that was ruined.

They heard a rumble from their left.

"He's coming back!"

"C'mon bud." Hiccup said as he quickly mounted Toothless.

"Let's go Stormfly." Astrid bolted past Keila to meet her dragon. The other dragon riders were mounting up as well, Keila looked around as the all took off, feeling useless. Stoick was shouting orders to every on the ground as they watched for the dragon to show himself in the night sky.

Keila ran back and forth, but no one seemed to pay her any attention. Keila groaned in frustration and ran over to where the island dropped off into the ocean. She searched the skies, she could just make out Hiccup and the others. Hiccup was trying to rally the riders' and make a strategy, but that was proving difficult as usual. Keila rolled her eyes, _C'mon Hic_ _hurry it up,_ she thought.

She looked over and saw a tree at the edge of the cliff. She chuckled to herself, "I wanna see the dragons, Hic."

* * *

Hiccup groaned and nodded at Astrid, obviously the twins and Snotlout weren't going to be helpful as they kept trying to set each other on fire, saying that they "thought it was the dragon." They would use Fishlegs as bait and he and Astrid would corner the dragon and trap it.

Hookfang, Barf and Belch were roaring in Hiccup's ear, "Guys do you mind? Oh... come on!" Toothless suddenly growled and perked up. "Ugh...let's go bud."

* * *

"They've got him on the run!"

Keila heard the shout and squinted into the black. The saw the glint of Hiccup's saddle in the light from Hookfang's fire, those three really weren't doing any good at all. She could see the dragon in front of Hiccup by about a yard. The dragon was fast, they had surpassed Fishlegs almost immediately. The dragon was very fast almost equal with Toothless, of course that was with Hiccup and all that gear on his back, plus Hiccup was holding Toothless back a little trying to stay behind the dragon, but still the dragon was fast. Toothless roared at the dragon and the dragon twisted its head around and shot a blast of flame right at Hiccup and Toothless.

"Hiccup!" Keila leaned a bit too far and almost lost her grip on the branch she was clinging to. She grasped the tree tight and strained to see if Hiccup was okay. He burst through the blast of flame, and Keila cheered in relief.

"No stop!" she heard Hiccup yell. She couldn't see what was wrong until she saw the twins and Snotlout barreling towards the dragon.

The dragon screamed in pain as the two dragons rammed into its side. In a blast of flame the dragon broke free, but it looked hurt. It looked like it was falling, spiraling out of the sky it's wing flopping awkwardly, and it was headed right for her.

* * *

"Are you insane?" Astrid yelled from in front of Hiccup. Hiccup groaned and started looking for the dragon, he had become disoriented in the blast that Hookfang and the other dragon had created. He frantically searched for the dragon, but he heard it first, well not it, but her. He heard a scream and a crunch of wood.

The dragon was falling out of the sky and it rammed into a tree at the edge of the cliff. Someone screamed from inside the tree's branches. He caught a flash of a blue shirt, and another terrified yell. Keila.

The tree's trunk snapped and and Keila and the dragon started to tumble into the sea below. "No!" Hiccup put Toothless into a dive. _I have to get there. I have to get there._ Hiccup pressed into Toothless trying to make him go faster. "C'mon, c'mon!"

The other dragon cried out as they spiraled toward the water. Toothless pumped his wings against the wind. They were too far ahead of him, not even with Toothless's speed...

Things seemed to go silent, it was like time was standing still. The dragon, tree, and Keila slammed into the water. Hiccup almost forgot to pull up. He searched the black water, nothing.

Keila was gone.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Astrid stood on the cliff watching the sky as light started to creep into the horizon. Stormfly was curled next to her, out cold. The poor Nadder had been flying for hours that night assisting in the search, but eventually just like everyone else exhaustion had won out. Astrid, though, stood watch on the cliff, watching over Hiccup.

The sun was starting to rise and Hiccup and Toothless hadn't touched down since...well, since Keila. They were obviously tired, every wingbeat came with extreme effort for Toothless and Hiccup's head kept bobbing.

At first everyone who could ride was out searching the shore and water for any sign of Keila, and others took out the ships to help look, but they found nothing. Eventually everyone slowly gave in to exhaustion. The only ones left now were Hiccup on Toothless and the chief in a boat, as Thornado had given in to exhaustion as well.

Astrid had a feeling the chief had given up hope, and was only staying out, like Astrid, to watch over Hiccup.

* * *

She couldn't be gone, any moment now she'd pop out from somewhere laughing, _I can't believe you fell for it!_ Hiccup searched the water for what seemed like the billionth time.

It was his fault. If she was gone it was all his fault. If he had...done something.

Toothless lurched in the air again as exhaustion tried to take control again. "Come on, bud a little longer..."

* * *

Astrid gasped as Toothless almost fell out of the sky again. She looked down at Stoick who was tense at the ship's helm. He looked like he wanted to yell at Hiccup to come down, but he knew as well as Astrid did that wouldn't do any good, although that usually didn't stop the chief. Astrid turned and rubbed Stormfly's face to wake her up. "Come on girl, just for a minute."

She took off into the sky towards Hiccup and Toothless.

"Hiccup!"

Her exhausted boy looked up at her and the low sun reflected on his wet face. "Hiccup, you've got to land. Toothless can barely even stay awake."

"I can't Astrid, I can't..." he turned and looked back at the water. Astrid sighed and urged Stormfly to fly so she was just above Toothless. She slid off of Stormfly to sit behind Hiccup. He looked back at her, surprised, "Ah! Astrid..."

Astrid glared at him, and he looked like he was afraid she would hit him, but she didn't. She reached down and pushed Hiccup's prosthetic foot out of the stirrup and the other, and replaced them with her own. She put her arms around Hiccup and put her hands on his to steer Toothless.

Hiccup didn't want to give in but his body obviously couldn't take much more, and Toothless seemed grateful to be headed for the ground.

They landed and Toothless just sprawled out and let his wings flop on the ground. Astrid pat the dragon's neck as she dismounted. Hiccup seemed frozen.

"Hiccup?" Astrid tried to see his face. She had never seen him this way, the most distressed she had ever seen him was when he thought he was going to lose Toothless, but even then there was anger, a glimmer of hope that something could be done, but now he just looked like everything in the world had come caving in on him. He looked like he would crumble to pieces if she so much as touched him, but even so she embraced him tightly.

Usually when Hiccup was acting mopey she would punch him on the shoulder and make a joke to try and cheer him up, but she knew at this time he wouldn't come back with a snark comment like usual.

She had only known Keila for a little over a week, but she could tell she had meant a lot to Hiccup. They were family after all, and as far as Astrid knew, before the whole thing with the dragons she had been his only friend. They were so similar, Astrid somehow felt like in losing Keila, they had lost a little of Hiccup as well.

* * *

Hiccup woke up in his bed, Toothless resting next to him. The sun was setting. The last thing he remembered was Astrid helping him from Toothless's back and his dad coming up from the docks to meet them.

Astrid had stayed awake all night the same as him, he had no idea how she had still been able to stand, when he couldn't.

She had hugged him when they landed. _"Hiccup you have to rest."_ Astrid had said.

_"I killed her."_

_"What?"_

_"It's my fault."_ Astrid slapped him when he said that. She never _slapped_ him. _"It's not your fault Hiccup! You idiot!"_

Hiccup was too tired to argue with her, but she was wrong. His cousin was gone, because of him. His best friend drowned because he was a terrible leader, because if he could have kept everyone in line that dragon wouldn't have fallen. Because if he was actually any good with dragons like claimed to be, maybe she would have had her own dragon to protect her, or he would've been able to control the wild dragon.

Maybe if he was any good at all...she would be alive.

 


	11. Chapter 11

She opened her eyes again for what seemed like the tenth time in the last few hours, but it didn't matter, even though her eyes were open she couldn't see a thing. Her whole body hurt, especially her head. Certain places on her side stung worse than others, and besides that she was just wet and cold.

Was this what it was like to be dead?

Unable to move, whether from paralysis or fear she did not know. Always in pain and blind. No she wasn't dead, at least she didn't think so. There were rocks beneath her and even though she couldn't move she could feel water lapping at her fingers and feet. She knew that if she wasn't already dead she would be if she didn't find a way to get warm.

She inhaled sharply and willed her right arm to move, and push her up. It twinged, but she was able to start to push herself up. In the dark her balance wasn't perfect and she threw her other arm out to help balance herself, and immediately knew that was a mistake.

It was like fire was engulfing her arm and side, she cried out, and collapsed back on her other side. She lay there sobbing for a moment as the pain subsided, but she started to become aware that something else was in the cavern with her.

Something growled behind her as if it was irritated with her. It started to move and she could tell it was coming for her.

She tucked her broken arm to her and tried to crawl out of the way, it was so dark she figured the creature was probably just as blind as she was. If she was able to move out of the way, maybe it would pass her.

She was wrong though it came right to her, she prepared herself for the worst. It sniffed at her neck. Its breath was warm, and she could feel the scales on it's nose brushing her skin. It opened it's mouth, but instead of biting her, it took hold of her shirt and dragged her back away from the water. It scared her being dragged somewhere and not being able to see anything, she felt truly helpless.

She was dragged further back into the cave and then the creature stopped and curled up nudging her softly into a resting place up against it. She carefully reached out and felt the creature wrapped around her. It was scaly, but smooth, and the creature had wings that it stretched out on top of her. It was a dragon.

She figured it was the same dragon that knocked her down into the ocean. She wanted to run, she wanted scream and cry and run as far away from this place as possible, but she couldn't even get herself to stand up. Not to mention she couldn't even see where she was, she thought by now her eyes would have adjusted to the dark.

This dragon sure was warm, though.

* * *

"We aren't just going to give up!"

Everyone was standing in the arena waiting for something to happen. The chief had grounded all the dragons for the night, primarily to keep Hiccup from pulling another all-nighter. They decided to hold a meeting, to discuss what to do next, but Hiccup was just sitting on the ground next to Toothless, not talking. He had only come along to check on Toothless, and because Astrid had practically dragged him out of his house.

Snotlout was the one yelling, he had been acting weird ever since the other night, so had the twins, but, then again, no one really seemed to know what to do, right now.

"Shut it Snotlout." Astrid growled.

"Uh, he's right shouldn't we be...uh searching or something?" Tuffnut offered. Astrid shot him a glare. Fishlegs chimed in, "The dragons are grounded..."

"That's never stopped us before..." Ruffnut muttered.

Astrid grit her teeth and clenched her fists so tightly she looked like she was going to explode.

"Um...guys maybe you shouldn't..." Fishlegs whispered.

Toothless purred at Hiccup worriedly. Hiccup just sat absent-mindedly petting Toothless.

Ruffnut groaned, "Oh, can't we just do something already?"

"UGH! Enough!" Astrid yelled. Everyone jumped.

" _You_ three! All of this is your fault, don't you see that!" She screamed at Snotlout and the twins.

"If you idiots hadn't been screwing around none of of this would have happened!" Astrid yelled. It was a good thing she had left her axe at home or else they would probably be more than just a little scared. "Don't you realize you might've killed someone?" Astrid's voice cracked a little.

"Might've?" Fishlegs muttered, sadly.

Hiccup sighed behind Astrid, "Astrid...stop...It's not their fault."

Astrid spun around, "And you! I've had enough of you, all this self-pity, mopey, sad-faced nonsense, I'm sick of it!" Hiccup looked up at her in surprise.

"Look, Hiccup, I'm sorry about what happened, but you've got to...do something! You've got to get out of your head and stop blaming yourself and realize there is nothing you could have done! That dragon was out of control to begin with, and even if you had been able to get it to listen to you, there is no way you would have been able to predict that accident-"

"Astrid, stop if I was any good as a leader I-"

"Hiccup you are a good leader, you can't help it if those around aren't any good." She glared at the others. He looked down. She knelt next to him, "Hiccup...I'm sorry about Keila, but you can't just let what happened to her make you give up everything you've worked for. You've got to keep training the dragons, you've got to keep taking care of Toothless, and you've got to take care of yourself."

Hiccup sighed, "Astrid, I let her down. I put her in danger, and now she's gone. " Astrid hugged him, "Hiccup, no you didn't. That girl is related to you, which means she was bound to get in to trouble. Also I don't know anyone more stubborn or more crazy than you, and if she's as much like you as I think a little dunk in the ocean wouldn't have taken her out."

"No, but a 2-ton dragon and a tree might've." Hiccup muttered.

"Oh, Hiccup..." Astrid sighed and pecked Hiccup on the cheek and stood. She went over to where Stormfly was resting and mounted up.

"Wh-where are you going?" Hiccup said watching her, Toothless crooned next to him.

"Hiccup, yesterday you wouldn't land until I dragged you down or until you had some kind of proof. Now you can sit here looking like a kicked puppy if you want, but I'm going to keep looking." Astrid said trying to sound confident.

Hiccup shook his head, "Astrid there's no way anyone could have survived that."

"He's right the dragon was all RAWR and the tree was all CRIK CRIK and she was all AHHHH!" Tuffnut said getting excited until Ruffnut kicked him in the gut. Even she knew when enough was enough.

"I think she could." Astrid said with a sure smile. She started walking Stormfly to the arena gate.

"How-how can you be so sure, how can you possibly know that?" Hiccup stood up starting to get a little angry.

"Because I know her cousin." Astrid said, and took off.

* * *

Keila's breath shuddered as she tried again to get up. The dragon seemed frustrated with her fumbling, he grumbled as he let her use his head to steady herself.

"Oh hush, it's not like you can see either.. and it's your fault my arm is broken." Keila muttered. The dragon growled in response. "Yeah, yeah shut up and help me find a way out of here." She put her hand on the wall and inched her way around the edges of the cave.

When she hit water she started going the other way trying to see how far back the cave went. The dragon stayed next to her the whole time. She kept walking until she hit water again.

The cave wasn't very big, a little bigger than a house maybe, with the water penning them in on one side. She really wished it wasn't so dark, and that her head would stop hurting.

Her stomach grumbled and she suddenly became aware of how thirsty she was. In the dark it was hard to tell time, but she figured it had been a day or more. "Any chance of catching us some food?"

The dragon pushed past her and she lost her balance. She put her good arm out to catch herself, but she still fell into the salt water, and she became aware of several open wounds along her side and a nice cut on her head. She yelled in pain and tried to get herself out of the water. She heard splashes as the dragon came back. He snorted at her as he approached, as if he couldn't believe she'd gotten herself into more trouble. He lifted her up by her shirt again and carried her out of the water.

He dropped her and snorted in her face. "Oh, oh ew! Fish breath...get away from me!" She pushed his head away. He grumbled at her. She rolled her eyes and tenderly felt her injuries. There was a bad bump on her head, with a thin cut that went under her hair, and was sticky with blood. The water had washed it a little, but she went ahead and tore the sleeve from her shirt and wrapped it around the cut. She felt her broken arm softly trying to figure out where the break was. It only took a moment to figure out because there was a big sore bump in her forearm, which was very swollen. Her mother had taught her how to set bones and basic first aid when she was younger, after she realized how accident prone Keila was, but Keila had never set her own bone before.

She inhaled and quickly forced the bone back into alignment, or at least what she hoped was right, screaming behind her teeth. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tight, fighting back tears. She quickly tore the bottom of her shirt to make a sling. It left her midriff bare to the cold air of the cave. The wounds in her side prickled. She used her teeth to hold one end of the fabric and her good arm to reach around and tie the sling. It was hard to do with one arm, and she had a feeling she would be tightening it a lot.

The dragon nudged her, as if he had taken it on himself now to keep her alive, or he was just saving her for dinner. "I'm fine, anyways we wouldn't be in this mess if you wouldn't have rammed into me." Keila grumbled.

He snorted irritatedly.

Finally she felt the wounds in her side which were now exposed. The wounds didn't seem to be bleeding like the cut on her head. They probably had been once, but now they seemed to be clean. They were small shallow punctures that went up and down her side. She traced the pattern they made, a large c-shape that started at her hip and went up to her chest and continued other back.

"These are...teeth marks." Keila whispered and turned to the dragon, or at least where she thought the dragon was. The dragon huffed like it couldn't believe she was blaming him for the marks, or like he wanted to be thanked.

Keila heard the lapping of the water at the mouth of the cave, and remembered feeling around the edges. This cave had to be below the surface of the water. Keila knew for a fact that she blacked out when she hit the water.

So that meant...the dragon had saved her.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Hiccup packed a few more things he thought might be useful, and tried to think positively. Keila was a great swimmer, and had jumped from the cliffs into the water before. But, then all those times she had done it on purpose, and didn't have a dragon falling on top of her, no he had to stop that.

Toothless crooned as Hiccup walked back and forth. Hiccup absentmindedly pat the dragon on the nose. Something about what Astrid had said had given him new incentive to look one more time.

"There's no way she could've survived, is there...but what if?" Hiccup muttered under his breath. Toothless moaned at him again. "In a minute bud."

Hiccup dug through his things looking for his extra spyglass. Usually it only took a little more than a day for things to wash up on the shore. Hiccup had witnessed a few drownings in his life, vikings falling off the cliffs during dragon attacks or after a particularly rowdy celebration. They usually washed up the next day or so. They'd been patrolling the beaches constantly and had not found anything except bits of the tree that fell with Keila. Toothless chirped softly, Hiccup finally looked over at his dragon.

He had his head on Hiccup's bed and was nuzzling a tawny satchel imprinted with a red dragon, it was Keila's. Hiccup sat on the bed and took the bag next to Toothless, "Don't worry bud, we will find her...one way or..." He couldn't finish.

He flipped open the bag there wasn't much inside, a small journal, a few pieces of charcoal, a small knife, and a bunch of letters tied together. He started to put everything back when he noticed his name on one of the letters. The letters were from him, or at least some of them. He had written her a few letters when they were apart, mail sometimes took a long time to get to it's destination, but they had written back and forth since they were six. Originally they were just pictures, but eventually they wrote long letters to each other.

She had kept them all. Hiccup's brow creased and and stuffed the things back into his cousin's bag. He grabbed his own bag and stormed towards the door, "Let's go bud."

* * *

Keila curled up into the dragon's side, sleeping. His body heat kept her warm enough and even he draped his wing over her.

Despite the dragon's attitude towards her originally, he seemed to have decided to accept her presence. He caught a few fish for her to eat, and helped her get around in the dark. Overall he treated her with disdain, like she was a hatchling he couldn't believe he had to look after.

She wondered why he didn't just leave, he seemed able to swim, and she doubted they were too far under the surface of the water. The dragon was probably trying to go up for air when he dragged her into the cave, she figured he had been disoriented and only accidentally ended up in this cave.

Now she had passed out from exhaustion at the dragon's side. Her injuries were tender, but she'd done pretty much all she could to take care of them. The bandage on her head was already soaked through, but she couldn't keep ripping her clothes.

She shuddered as a nightmare filled her head. She cringed into the dragons side, and scream out suddenly as she was scared awake. She sat staring into the black of the cave with wide eyes breathing hard. She dragon shifted next to her, she could feel his eyes on her.

He grumbled softly, like he was asking her to quiet down. She looked around in the cave and groaned, she was sick of darkness. She pushed herself up slowly and walked towards the sound of the water, trying not to trip. She looked over her shoulder in the dragon's direction, "Can't you light a fire or something?"

The dragon growled, as if she was stupid for asking.

She heard him inhale and she thought she heard him take a shot, but she barely saw a small light in the corner of her eye that quickly went out. Her eyes didn't even adjust enough for her to see anything at all. "What, no fire power?"

The dragon groaned at her, and she mimicked him, snickering. It had to be too wet for the fire to stay lit, and there wasn't anything for it to catch on. She sighed trying not to let herself get frantic. She kicked her foot in the water.

"Alright pal, it's time for us to get out of here, I'm sick and tired of being in the dark."

* * *

Hiccup took a deep breath and tied a rope to the tree stump at the cliff's edge and looked over. The water beat against the cliffside with great force. The hopeless feeling started to creep up on him again.

"And just what are you expecting to do with that?"

Hiccup jumped at Astrid's voice. She landed next to Toothless and looked at him carefully. He looked at the rope in his hands and the other random items he had spread out around him. He looked around trying to formulate an explanation of his plan to save his cousin.

"Uh...honestly? I have no idea..." I said softly.

Astrid dismounted and walked up to him. "I flew around to the beaches no one has seen any-"

"Good, that's good." Hiccup said softly, not really listening, all he knew was that if they hadn't found anything, there was still a chance, however slim.

He tightened his knots and knelt to arrange the things at his feet.

"What's all this for?" Snotlout appeared behind Hiccup kicking at some of the supplies. The others and their dragons were all behind him. Anger filled him at the sight of Snotlout and the twins, if it weren't for them... He grit his teeth, and pushed those thoughts down, it wasn't going to be helping anyone if he was thinking that way.

"We are going to find her."

They all stared at him, some with looks that questioned his sanity, and some like Astrid who was just happy that he hadn't given up. She knew the odds, hell, they all did, but the Hiccup she knew wasn't one to give up. He was so stubborn, never letting others tell him what to do, seeing him that way, broken and silent, it just wasn't Hiccup. At least now, he was a shadow of himself.

"Uh...Hiccup...I do-" Fishlegs started to express his doubts, but Astrid stopped him with a grunt.

"What do we do?" Astrid said.

* * *

Keila's heart still fluttered frantically in the presence of the dragon, but she had had to push her fear down before, and she figured the dragon would have killed her already if he was going to.

What had Hiccup said? She tried to remember. Trust was the key, they needed to trust each other. Well, that wasn't exactly an option, she didn't trust any dragon, and this dragon didn't seem care about her either way, but was that true? The dragon had cared enough that it saved her when they fell into the water, and she had trusted it thus far, at least in the since that she decided she needed it to survive down here.

She looked toward the dragon. She could feel his warmth, and his breath as he exhaled."If we are both going to get out of here, we are going to have to work together. "

The dragon snorted in response.

"What...oh, ok yeah you are going to have to do most of the work _at first_ , because I have no idea how to get out of here, and swimming isn't exactly the easiest thing with one arm."

The dragon groaned.

"I will help as soon as we are out of the water I promise."

The dragon blew air at her like he didn't believe that.

"You get me out of this and I will get you more fish than you can eat, now come on!" Keila made a quick move in the dragon's direction.

The dragon growled at her and she could feel him recoil quickly; she gasped and jumped back, prepared to defend herself.

She tried to calm herself down and think. The darkness was killing her, she had to get out, even if that meant trusting a dragon. She thought back to Hiccup's lessons, she'd hardly paid attention. She didn't listen, because she didn't want to hear what he had to say, she didn't trust dragons and nothing he said was going to change that. Even Toothless she didn't totally trust, whenever he was around her she kept a hand on her dagger, just in case. She had gotten to the point where she didn't scream every time a dragon came near her, but she never truly believed she would be able to bond with one like the others.

What had he said? Trust, something about trust, and no eels, and...and what? Her head pounded as she tried to remember. She flashed back to her first flight on Toothless, when they had landed Hiccup made her touch Toothless on the snout. When they talked about it Hiccup had told her that they key to approaching a strange dragon was being slow and careful.

She inhaled and tried hard to relax. She turned away from the dragon, closed her eyes, put her good hand out into the black void of the cave. She waited and waited, and she was going to give up when scales rubbed up against her palm.

Triumph and excitement welled up inside of her.

She kept her hand lightly on the dragon's snout and swept her hand over his head to find a good spot on his back. The dragon had two foot long horns on his head and behind that along his spine spikes started to rise up. Just before his wings the spikes were low enough she could sit comfortably.

She fumbled in trying to climb on the dragon's back. The dragon turned his head and used his nose to steady her and push her into position. "Uh, thanks..." Keila inhaled sharply as she realized she was actually sitting on a _dragon_ on her own.

She pet his scales and nudged him toward the sound of the water, "Ok we are getting out of here...better hold your breath."

* * *

"Alright, hover there Fishlegs, we are almost ready! Astrid, make sure you have enough slack in your rope and get ready to dive!" Hiccup called out instructions to everyone.

The plan was half-baked at best, but he figured they would at least be able to determine if there was some way for Keila was alive, and hopefully figure out a way to rescue her. Hiccup looked around at his friends, thankful that he didn't have to do this alone.

Even the twins and Snotlout, who were uncharacteristically quiet, were working their hardest to help with the rescue mission. Hiccup was adjusting Toothless's saddle when a gruff voice startled him out of his concentration.

"Son..."

"Dad! What...what do you need?"

Stoick looked around at everything that was going on and sighed heavily, "Hiccup...son..."

"Dad I know what you're going to say, and...I just-"

"Son, I'm sorry, but Keila is-"

"Dad, I'm not giving up, not until I know."

Stoick sighed and Hiccup just thought he looked beaten and tired. He stepped to the tree stump and looked out like he was just in need of a reprieve.

"Hiccup, we need to be restocking the storehouses we lost, a storm is coming and most of the villages provisions were taken out...we have to think of the village. And we've got to put her to rest."

Hiccup pulled on one last strap and mounted Toothless. His father was stating the obvious, this time of year they always had bad storms, but he was right about the storehouses.

"Not yet, I've got to try..."

Stoick groaned and turned away from the cliff's edge. Suddenly he pulled a small dagger from his belt and stabbed it into the wood and stormed off. Hiccup watched him storm away in surprise. He dismounted Toothless and walked over to the stump, "What in Thor's..." Hiccup slowly pulled the dagger up. At first it looked like any other dagger, but up close he realized it belonged to Keila. Hiccup gripped the knife tightly, and went back to Toothless.

_This doesn't mean anything, it doesn't._ He told himself. He turned back to his friends, and nudged Toothless to the edge of the cliff.

"Get ready, Astrid dive!"

"Wait! Look!"

The water was stirring, like something was trying to surface. Suddenly a dark red dragon burst out of the water and tried to fly out, but something was wrong and it couldn't get in the air. Something was weird about this dragon, and it's roar was familiar. Something...no, someone was draped across the dragon's back. It was Keila, he knew it.

Hiccup burst into action, before anyone else could register what was going on. He sent Toothless into a breakneck dive.

The dragon was thrashing and panicking, if Hiccup didn't hurry Keila would definitely be killed, if she wasn't dead already. Hiccup's dive was too steep, he didn't care.

"Hiccup!" He heard Astrid scream. He stayed in the dive until he was close enough, and pulled up slightly just before the water and reached out as far as he could. He grabbed a bunch of fabric from what was left of her shirt in his hand and held on as tight as he could. The dragon's thrashing wing clipped Toothless and and the Night Fury was thrown off kilter as they tried to pull out, Hiccup held tight to Keila as Toothless tried to get them stable again.

Finally Toothless was able pull up. Hiccup tugged Keila up so that she was sitting in front of him and leaning against him. She was waterlogged, and barely conscious. He called out to her, "Keila! Keil speak to me come on!"

It didn't feel like she was breathing. He landed hastily and his friends followed suit. He laid Keila on the ground and tried to find a way to help her. She looked like she was struggling.

Hiccup felt helpless he didn't know what to do as she strained for air, finally she sputtered and coughed and a spout of water exhumed itself from her lungs.

"Keila!"

"The...dr-dragon..." She gasped and then fell unconscious. Hiccup could hardly believe he was seeing his cousin alive, he looked at his friends.

"Get him."

They all took off except Snotlout, he looked on nervously, "Is she...?"

"Go get the dragon," Hiccup said softly. He hugged Keila, and didn't even notice as the villagers started to gather. He honestly hadn't believed he would see her again.

"You're okay."

* * *

 


	13. Chapter 13

Hiccup peeked into the cage where they had put the red dragon. The dragon growled at him when it saw him. As soon as they had gotten the dragon out of the water it had thrashed out and tried to attack everyone. Even Hiccup hadn't been able to calm it down. It had fought against them and pulled away towards Keila.

The dragon stood over her and wouldn't let anyone near her. Threatening to fire at anyone who got close. In order to get Keila the help she so desperately needed it had taken everyone including Stoick and Gobber to muzzle the beast and get him away from Keila.

Now the dragon glared at him as if he were the most evil being on the face of the earth. The dragon opened its mouth and bared it's flashing white fangs. The dragon had some of the whitest teeth he had ever seen on a dragon. They flashed whenever it opened it's mouth. Hiccup was already prepared for the shot. He dodged it and looked at the dragon calmly.

Hiccup sighed. It seemed the only one the dragon would tolerate was Keila, but she hadn't woken up since they'd pulled her out of the water. She had a terrible fever, and some of her wounds were starting to get infected. The dragon itself was also hurt, its wing was torn, but he wouldn't let anyone near him to fix it. Hiccup absentmindedly made notes in his journal about the dragon's appearance. Trying to figure out the dragon's species had been a distraction for him while his cousin was sick in bed.

"Hiccup! Hiccup!" Astrid landed hastily in the arena.

Hiccup stood up and looked at her inquiringly.

"Keila's fever broke! and Gothi thinks she's about to wake up!"

She had barely finished talking by the time Hiccup took off on Toothless.

* * *

Keila cringed at the fevered nightmares that filled her mind. White fire exploding around her. Her parents disappearing beneath the waves. A tree falling on her. Golden eyes glaring at her through the darkness. Teeth piercing her.

She cried out in her sleep and shuddered. Now everything was going dark and she felt as if she was drowning. A voice called out to her.

"Keila! Keila wake up. Come on."

* * *

Hiccup stood over Keila with Stoick and the others. Tremors seemed to vibrate through his cousin's body. Hiccup watched her feeling helpless. Thankfully her fever had finally broken, and Hiccup wipe sweat from her face.

Astrid came up behind him and put her arm around his shoulders. "She'll be okay now, don't worry. Gothi said she is going to wake up soon, just be patient."

Hiccup's head drooped. Keila shifted and turned her head to their voices. Hiccup watched her carefully.

She groaned.

Hiccup gasped hoping she was awake. She was heavily bandaged around her torso and the top of her head. Her left arm was in a splint. He worried she was in pain.

"H-Hiccup?" she said his name. It was so quiet he almost thought he'd imagined it, but no she'd definitely said his name.

"Keila!" Hiccup gasped.

Suddenly her whole body tensed and voice shook.

"Hiccup? Hiccup why can't I see you!" She sounded panicked.

Hiccup put his hand on her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Hey, hey calm down it's okay! You've just got bandages over your eyes it's okay!"

Keila lifted her good hand and felt the cloth wrapped around her eyes. When Gothi had examined her, Keila's eyes had been very bloodshot, they almost looked like they were bleeding and really irritated. Gothi made a soothing poultice and wrapped it over Keila's eyes to ease the irritation.

Keila was very anxious to have the bandages off she started to pull at them.

"Wait there Keila, those there bandages have medicine in them give it a little longer." Gobber said. Keila hesitated and then stopped struggling with the bandages.

"How long?" She said softly.

Gothi started to gesture to Gobber and he responded, "Oh, only a another hour or so and it should be fine."

Keila rested her head back down. She didn't want to be in the darkness any longer but she trusted Gothi.

She turned her head towards Hiccup's voice.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"Home," Hiccup answered, "You've been asleep for two days."

"Huh, figures I actually get to sleep for the first time in days and I feel like crap. Hicc could you get me some water or something?"

Astrid jumped up before Hiccup could react. "Here."

Astrid helped Keila find the cup and take a drink.

"Thanks."

"Keila, what happened? We thought that y-you were, that you were dead."

"Son, maybe this should wait..." Stoick murmured. The chief had been quiet, but it was obvious he was relieved.

"No, it's alright Uncle," Keila assured him. "To be honest I not sure of all the details. I was on the cliff watching you guys with that dragon, and then the dragon fell. He was panicking and blowing fire everywhere and he hit the tree. The last I remember seeing was a bright white light and then I think something hit my head, 'cause I blacked out. When I woke up it was really dark. The dragon was there, but that's about it, I-I mean I don't really..."

"So where were you? How did you get there? The dragon didn't hurt you?" Astrid asked excitedly.

"Um, I don't know a cave underwater or something, I'm not entirely sure, and no he actually kinda took care of me. I think he may have saved me, I've got bite-"

"Bite-marks on your side." Hiccup finished, "S-so he saved you, but I don't understand that dragon hasn't really let anyone near it, I wonder why he-"

"He wasn't exactly friendly at first to me either, Hicc, I don't i-it was like he felt obligated to make sure I was okay, I don't know..."

Keila tried to sit up, but winced as her side twinged. "Ow..." she muttered.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Astrid asked.

"I'm fine Astrid really." Keila assured her. She pushed herself up.

She rested her head on the headboard, despite having slept for two days straight she was exhausted. She heard Gobber moving around.

"Well, we will be back shortly. You rest." He ordered Keila, "And, you lot make sure she keeps those bandages on for at least a little longer, we want that medicine to do you some good."

Stoick chimed in too, "I have to go too, I've got to help get everything secure. Gothi thinks the storm will be here by tomorrow night."

Stoick pecked Keila on the forehead and her nose scrunched up at his bristly kiss. Hiccup and Astrid watched him go a little surprised at the display of affection. Hiccup smirked he'd never say it, but Stoick had been very worried.

They spent the next hour talking about the last few days. Keila told them about the underwater cave and the dragon. Hiccup and Astrid told her what had happened since she disappeared and since she'd been asleep. Toothless rested his head on the foot of the bed.

Hiccup and Astrid could tell she was antsy to take the bandages off of her eyes, and know they understood why, it had to really mess with your head to not be able to see where you were or anything at all. Eventually Astrid stepped out to check on Stormfly.

Keila tapped her fingers impatiently, "So what happened to the dragon?"

"Huh? We put him in one of the stalls in the arena, he's not too happy about it. It took a lot of work to get him there."

Keila chuckled, "Yeah sounds about right..."

Hiccup considered her for a moment. "Keila you-"

Toothless suddenly started growling cutting him off. Keila could hear people shouting outside.

"What's going on?" Keila asked.

"Just get out of it's way!" someone shouted. There was a crash as something burst through the open front door.

Hiccup yelled and Keila heard claws scraping on the wood floor. Toothless went away from Keila and started growling in warning at the intruder. It was the red dragon and Toothless looked like he was about to pounce.

The growling sound escalated in Keila's ears and she was able to pick out a familiar voice. "It's you isn't it?" She asked, "Leave them alone would you?" The red dragon glanced at Hiccup and Toothless warily but pushed past them to get to Keila.

"Keila he's-"

"It's fine Hiccup." The dragon started sniffing her up and down as if he was checking her out to make sure she was all there. The dragon pressed his nose into her hand and she obliged by rubbing his snout.

Hiccup watched them for a moment and then laughed out loud. "It looks like you found a dragon after all!"

"What?" Keila said stopping and turning her head towards Hiccup, then she started to laugh with him.

"Well then I've had enough of darkness, I gotta see this guy, I'm taking this off!" Keila reached behind her head to find where the bandage was tied. She began to unwrap the bandage and closed her eyes as she did so. She figured it would be best to take it slow seeing as she hadn't seen light in a while.

"Be careful it's a little bright in here, it might hurt your eyes." Hiccup told her. He calmed Toothless and made him go sit away from Keila and her dragon. He watched as she pulled the bandage away. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Her eyes looked a little glazed over, but not bloodshot. Hiccup smiled at her. "So how's that?"

She turned to face him, and he immediately could tell something was wrong. Her face read pure panic. Her eyes darted all over the place, not focusing on anything.

"Keila, what is it?" Hiccup rushed forward and put his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"H-hiccup." Her voice shook,"I-I can't see!"

* * *

 


	14. Chapter 14

Keila sat in a corner in Hiccup's room as she had been since she had opened her eyes the morning before. She was curled up against the red dragon, who she had named Nightshade. He was resting his head in her lap and snoring softly. She remembered when she was little and had been afraid of the dark, now it seemed she would never leave the dark again. She didn't want to walk anywhere, because the first time she tried she almost fell down the stairs. Thankfully no one had been around to see it, but Shade had caught her before she broke her neck. Hiccup and Gobber had been able to stitch up Nightshade's wing while his attention was on Keila who after crying for a good hour had passed out nestled in his neck.

Everyone had been in to talk to her, trying really hard to make sure they made sure to let her know they were coming. Everyone came in loudly saying, "It's me I'm coming in! I'm coming up. I'm in the room now. By the bed." Keila appreciated that they were trying, but she wished they would just stop. She could hear them when they stepped, and due to the variation of prosthetic and natural legs on Berk she could usually tell who was coming. The door opened downstairs and Shade stirred in her lap. She heard the scraping of claws on the wood, and Shade's irritated grumble, Toothless, she also heard a thump and the squeak as someone stepped inside, Hiccup, and two more light footsteps, probably Astrid.

"Keila it's Hiccup and Astrid we are coming up! Oh and uh Toothless is here too!" She heard Hiccup state, "Ok we are up-"

"Hiccup I can hear you come in you don't need to give me a blow by blow." Keila muttered

"Sorry."

Toothless's scraping got closer and she could hear him sniffing towards her. Shade lifted his head and rumbled. "Shh, Nightshade." The dragon nuzzled her hand,

"Nightshade, I like it." Hiccup said carefully.

"Everyone is going to go for a flight around the island. We'd strap your legs in so you could hold on with one hand. We figured you two should try for a real flight." Astrid said quickly.

"Nightshade's wing's still healing." Keila mumbled and leaned back into her dragon. She traced his scales with her good hand.

"Actually the patch job on his wing looks pretty good, the skin is already scarring, and we'd mostly glide anyway. I don't think we should try any hard maneuvering just yet, with your arm, his wing, and your ey- uh and um Toothless's new tail. Heh I just changed some of the calibrations, and I just want to try it out."

Toothless grunted at Hiccup, he was a horrible liar. Keila had no idea how he had kept Toothless a secret for so long.

Keila shook her head and went back to stroking Nightshade's tail fin.

"That's it!" Astrid said loudly startling Keila, she had gotten so quiet and still Keila had forgotten she was there.

Suddenly she felt a hand on the back of shirt hoisting her up, "Hey!?" Nightshade growled in protest. "Well, come on then dragon breath!" Astrid snapped. Astrid held Keila by her good arm and pushed her with a hand on her back.

"Astrid?!" Keila heard Hiccup shout. She tried not to stumble as Astrid forced her down the stairs. Nightshade followed closely behind with Hiccup stabling behind them.

When they got outside Keila could feel the wind on her face and the moisture in the air. She heard Toothless chirp behind her and Nightshade's protesting rumble. She also heard another familiar chirp, Stormfly. Astrid pushed Keila up onto Stormfly's back and lept up behind her. Keila didn't like not knowing what was happening. "Astrid what are you doing?" Keila yelled back. Astrid just grunted and pushed Stormfly into the sky. Keila heard Hiccup hook into Hiccup's saddle and take off. She also heard a loud fwap as Nightshade shot into the sky behind them.

"Astrid, I don't think this is helping!" Hiccup shouted over the wind.

Keila struggled to control her senses. Her ears were being bombarded by the wind and the flap of wings. She heard a sharp intake of air and could smell fire. "Astrid I don't know what you are doing, but we are about to get fried!" Astrid dodged as a shot flew over their heads. Keila could hear Nightshade preparing to take another shot.

"Shade, no!"

Nightshade ceased fire and settled with flying close to them. They landed hard and Astrid immediately jumped off and pulled Keila to the ground with her. Keila stumbled and hit the dirt. She felt the ground shake as Nightshade ran between her and Astrid growling.

Hiccup landed near by.

"Astrid what are you doing?"

Keila used Nightshade to pull herself up. By the smell she figured they were in the arena.

"I'm tired of everyone sitting around feeling sorry for themselves!" Astrid snapped, then her voice grew softer, "Keila I'm sorry about your eyes, I really am, but you have got to stop hiding and face the facts, you need to learn how to live with this. And Hiccup! You have to stop tiptoeing and help your cousin get used to how things are gonna be now."

"What? Me, I-"

Astrid cut Hiccup off, "Hiccup, you probably know better than anyone how Keila is feeling right now."

Keila couldn't be sure but she had a feeling Astrid meant Hiccup's leg.

"I-it's a bit different Astrid." Hiccup started softly.

"The point is you both could have died! Probably, should've, but you didn't. Hiccup you lost your leg, and I remember how hard that was for you at first, but you learned to make do and now I barely even notice anything's different."

Hiccup hesitated, "But, Astrid losing a leg and los-"

"Hiccup, you two are so alike it scares me. You look alike, talk alike, both think you're funny and you are both so stubborn, I could strangle you-"

"Um yeah, hey, I'm not _deaf_." Keila said waving her hand. Astrid sighed, took a few steps and said softly, "Hiccup you did it, and I know you can help Keila."

It got quiet. Keila turned her head all around trying to hear. "Hey guys, if you're giving me some sad look or something, you're gonna have to tell me, because I can't see... But, if you're like kissing or making goo goo eyes at each other I don't want to know."

Keila looked up as the sound of wings filled her ears and then three dragons hit the ground. Nightshade tensed again."Shh, boy."

A loud voice shout, "Hey are we doing this or not, Hookfang and I would rather not be out flying in the rain- oh, hey Keila..." Snotlout got quiet.

"Snotlout. And I assume Ruff and Tuff are here too? and Fishlegs?" Keila called.

"Haha yeah! That's so cool. You know I heard that sometimes when someone goes blind their hearing and stuff gets like way better." Fishlegs said awed.

"Yeah well my nose is definitely working, who had fish loaf for lunch, phew!"

"It was Ruffnut!" Tuffnut shouted.

* * *

Hiccup watched his cousin carefully as she conversed with his friends. Her head swiveled as she tried to focus on a sound or a voice, trying to locate everyone. The red dragon, Nightshade, watched everyone suspiciously as if he was thought at any moment one of them would attack Keila. He wasn't sure if the dragon trusted Keila really or not, but it was obvious he wanted to protect her, and that was usually part of the battle in training a dragon, getting it to care enough for its rider.

The challenge would be get Keila to trust Nightshade enough, she would have to trust the dragon completely in fact if Hiccup's idea was going to work. And the dragon would have to stop trying to bite everyone that came near.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Uh guys we should get going it's going to start raining soon, and we need to help get the animals inside, Gobber said the storm is gonna be pretty bad."

Everyone mounted up except for Keila. Hiccup walked over to her and she turned her head towards him but her eyes looked left and right without focusing. "Keila, so are you gonna come?"

She stroked Shade's back. "Hiccup, I can't ride...I wasn't very good before, now I can't even steer, I can't tell when to pull up or go down, I don't...I can't..." She took a deep breath and tried her best to look at him, "Hiccup I'm blind." Her voice shook, "All that stuff we used to do, exploring, swimming, drawing, climbing trees, I will never be able to do any of that again."

"Who says?"

"How could I possibly fly Hiccup, if I can't see?"

"You are my crazy insane cousin, that's how." This was the first time he'd heard her say the b-word.

Keila looked scared, she spoke as if she didn't think he could hear her. "I can't see!"

Hiccup grabbed her hand and put it on Nightshade's nose, "But, he can."

 


	15. Chapter 15

Keila took a deep breath as Shade lifted his wings to take off. She gripped the harness on her dragon's neck so tightly her hands hurt. Apparently Hiccup had been planning for this ever since she came out of the water. The saddle seemed to be a lot like everyone else's saddles as far as Keila could tell. It was a leather pad with straps to secure it to Shade's back, but Hiccup had added a few things he thought would help her. There was an extra strap that tightened around her thigh to help her stay on. The saddle also had a thick pommel that sat just behind Shade's head with handles for her to hold on. The different pieces each had a texture so she could tell the difference between the straps.

She was impressed that Hiccup had been able to make this saddle so quickly. It really was great. The world lurched around her as Shade lifted into the air. She yelped as her stomach dropped.

"Keila here we go. Now lean toward my voice."

Keila did as Hiccup said and leaned. Shade moved in the direction of her lean.

"Ok. Ok, now sit straight and lean forward. Squeeze with your knees." Hiccup called out. Keila leaned forward and Shade started to speed up. He got to going really fast, but Keila didn't know what to do. The speed of the wind hitting her face started to scare her.

"Keila! Lean back now! Lean back!" she heard Astrid call out from behind her. She did as she was told and pulled back on the pommel as she did that, there was no way in hell she was letting go of the saddle.

Shade snorted in frustration and reluctantly slowed down. Keila cracked a smile, she was doing it, she was actually riding on her own.

Shade rumbled at her irritatedly. "What?" She was enjoying this and she wasn't letting her grumpy dragon change it all now.

"Uh, Keila you really should turn." Fishlegs shouted up at her.

Why? she thought. Then she heard it, waves crashing against rocks, the sea stacks. Wind brushed all around it whistling and moaning.

She leaned into Shade and held on as he wove around and through the obstacle in front of them. When he leveled out Keila let lose a big breath of air and a grin. Shade would be her eyes now and she would learn to accept that, so she could feel some sort of normal again.

There was cheering behind her, accompanied by the flap of wings.

"Keila, that was incredible!"

"We didn't even have to tell you which way."

"Awesome!"

Everyone seemed really excited. Keila grinned, even Shade perked up a bit. They flew around for a while. Everyone occasionally yelled out instructions for her, and she worked on learning the sounds of different parts of the island so she would at least be able to fly around the island.

Thunder was rumbling all around them and everyone seemed to be getting anxious to get back. Keila smelled the moisture in the air and felt the wind picking up, and occasionally a drop of water splashed her face. The storm was picking up. They were all standing on the ground, because Hiccup had dropped his notebook.

Keila sat on Shade's back waiting patiently. She sighed begrudgingly. They were about to need to be inside because of the storm, and Keila wanted to fly some more. "Hiccup, just get a new book." Keila groaned.

"I think it fell over here!" Hiccup shouted over the now buffeting wind. "I'll lose all my notes, Keila." Keila shook her head and hunched over in her saddle. The rain was picking up and Keila's shirt was starting to stick to her.

"Oh, come on already! Forget your stupid book! Hookfang and I are getting soaked!" Snotlout complained to Keila's left. She knew he was mainly making excuses because he wanted out of the rain, but Hookfang did seem irritated. She heard him scratching the ground and he was growling softly. He was a Stoker class dragon after-all, Keila didn't know as much as Hiccup about dragons, but she figured she knew enough that she knew Stoker dragons were not fans of water.

Thunder ripped through the air around Keila, and she felt like the lightening was getting closer.

"Hiccup..."

"Found it!" Hiccup shouted. She listened to the thump, click, thump click as he trotted back towards Toothless. His saddle rattled as he mounted Toothless. Keila didn't wait for anyone's signal as she pressed Shade into the air. Thunder rumbled all around them and Shade dodged to the side every so often. Everyone kept quiet for the most part just trying to focus on getting back safely. Hiccup flew on one side of her, she could tell by the squeak of his stirrups, and by the beat of the large wings on her other side she could tell Hookfang and Snotlout flew beside her. Hookfang seemed on edge and he lunged this way and that with each crack of thunder. Shade wove to avoid him.

"Hookfang! Fly right!" Snotlout yelled over the wind. Keila could hear the rain beating against a cliff to the right of them. Keila was really having to focus to hear everything and be able to tell where things were. Shade was having to do most of the work, and Keila just did her best to hold on.

* * *

Hiccup was trying to help Keila navigate by yelling to her, but his voice kept getting lost in the storm. He knew if he could barely hear himself she wouldn't be able to hear him from her position twenty feet away. She seemed to be managing, or at least Nightshade was. She was laying as low to Nightshade's neck as she could and was turning her face away from the stinging rain.

He was worried about Snotlout and Hookfang, Hookfang was not handling the rain very well and Snotlout was getting frustrated. Hookfang was flying erratically and Snotlout was trying to steer but he just ended up fighting against Hookfang and making it worse. They had almost hit Keila and her dragon a few times. Thankfully Nightshade was doing a good job of staying out of their way. Hiccup just hoped Keila trusted Nightshade to do the flying. Keila was still very new to flying, and even an experienced rider would have trouble in this wind, and that's with all their senses intact.

Keila's hands gripped the pommel of her saddle tightly and she tried to lean with Nightshade's movements.

He felt a familiar tingling up his spine and Toothless rumbled irritatedly. "Uh guys we gotta-"

He was cut off by a blinding flash of light and a horrible explosion. His ears were ringing, but he could hear shouts and roars from all the dragons and his friends. Toothless was disoriented and they were falling. He heard a roar of pain and Snotlout yelling as he shot out of the sky. Finally Hiccup's vision cleared and he was able to see what was happening. He and Toothless were about to fall into the trees and Hiccup worked to calm Toothless and land safely. Everyone was having similar problems getting their dragons to stabilize and they all one by one landed next to Hiccup their dragons blinking in disorientation. Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruff and Tuff. Hiccup looked up for Snotlout and Keila. Keila was holding her ears tightly and Nightshade was flapping hard to maintain altitude and keep Keila safe. Snotlout was struggling to get Hookfang to level out and yelling insults at his dragon, but something was wrong and Hookfang was spiraling towards the ground.

"Snotlout pull up!" Hiccup shouted. "You don't think I'm trying?" Snotlout yelled back.

"Uh...move!" Hiccup said as the pair fell quicker towards them. They all jumped away just before Hookfang crashed hard into the ground. Hiccup jumped down and ran to help Snotlout.

Keila must have realized everyone was on the ground because she landed next to Toothless softly. "Is Snotlout okay?" She yelled over the rain.

Hiccup sighed in relief as Snotlout stood and brushed himself off. Astrid ran over to Keila and let her know he was OK and checked her out to make sure she was OK as well.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked Snotlout, shielding his face. Snotlout shook his head and ran to Hookfang's head. "I think he got hit." Snotlout said breathlessly.

Snotlout was right, there was a black mark on Hookfang's wing. Hookfang seemed ok, despite being disoriented and his wing was going to be out of commission for a little while. The storm was still raging around them and Hiccup felt the static in the air. "Come on guys lets get Hookfang into that cave over there."

All the riders and the dragons helped to guide Hookfang to shelter. Keila and Nightshade bought up the rear. Keila walked carefully next to her dragon, and Hiccup turned back every once and a while to see how she was progressing. Maybe this would work. He hadn't been sure how the irritable dragon would take to leading her around, but he seem to want to protect her.

They got in out of the rain and Hiccup mounted up. "Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff. Stay here with Snotlout and Hookfang we are gonna get help." Hiccup looked over to Keila stood at the mouth of the cave. Her pale eyes searched the space around her. Thunder crashed as the storm grew. "Hey Keila you should st-"

He was cut off by a deafening crash and a rumbling sound. Stones began falling all around the mouth of the cave, and Keila shielded her head as rocks struck all around her.

The rumbling increased and Hiccup sprinted for the mouth of the cave, "Keila!"

Boulders crashed into the mouth of the cave blocking off the entrance and separating them from Keila. Hiccup ran to the wall and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Keila! Keila!" He couldn't hear her, she had to have been crushed.

* * *

"Keila! Keila!"

Keila cowered on the ground having expected to be crushed by the falling rocks, but rain hit her back, and she could hear Hiccup shouting. She stood and walked towards his voice, running smooth into Nightshade's side. The dragon growled at her, he must have protected her. Hiccup's shouting became desperate.

"Yes, Hiccup I'm here! I'm here."

"Oh thank Thor! Are you alright?" Hiccup yelled sounding muffled.

"Hiccup where are you? You sound funny." Keila yelled feeling her way forward.

"The rock slide! It blocked the entrance to the cave! We can't get out!"

Keila finally hit the wall of rock and felt around trying to find loose rocks to dig them out.

"Keila, Keila don't move anything! You might make it worse...just...just go get my dad and Gobber! They'll get us out." Hiccup shouted.

Keila's stomach dropped, "Hiccup I-I can't fly on my own!"

"You won't be alone Keila!" Astrid shouted from somewhere behind the wall. "Trust your dragon. You can do this!"

"Keila Nightshade has very large wings and a large tail fan, meaning he is equipped for maneuvering and navigation, he can get through the storm easily." Fishlegs yelled.

"Uh yeah, what he said." Tuffnut called, she heard a thump and Tuffnut yelped, she guessed Ruff hit him. "Don't die!" Ruff said.

Keila smiled and felt for her saddle, and pulled herself up. "Ok guys I'll try."

She turned Shade's head. "Keila!" Snotlout yelled, and Keila stopped. "Um...good luck."

Keila smiled, "Thanks Snotlout."

She turned into the storm and braced herself as Nightshade took off into the wind.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Keila pulled her shirt up to cover her face and protect herself from the stinging rain and small bits of hail that was now pelting her as they sped through the air. She decided she was going to suggest to Hiccup they make some rain gear for all the riders, masks maybe, because flying at these speeds in a storm like this stung.

It felt like the rain was slicing into her cheeks and arms, and she was fairly certain some of the small hail shards actually had left marks.

She leaned into Shade and encouraged him to speed up. "To the village Shade come on." she reminded him again.

The dragon grumbled at her at if to say, _I know_ _idiot girl you've said that five times already!_

She prayed they were flying in the right direction. She could hear the rain slapping a cliff face to her side, she figured if she kept it on one side of her they would eventually hit the village.

She listened as hard as she could trying to make out her surroundings, the rain did add to what she could identify, but with the wind and hail and thunder she was starting to get overwhelmed by sounds.

She became tense and started moving in the saddle to adjust, but Shade started to become confused and was weaving as she turned this way and that.

Suddenly Nightshade let out a frustrated roar, Shade slowed down, and she felt a tugging and scraping on her leg. She hadn't realized how long Shade's neck was that her could reach her leg, just barely it seemed. She reached down to push his nose away.

"What is it boy, is the saddle bothering you? Is it your wing-" Before she could finish her statement she felt the strap on her thigh release, and suddenly she felt a rush of air and knew she was upside down and felt her stomach drop as she began to fall.

Keila screamed as she fell though air and rain. She knew she had been right not to trust dragons. Why had she let Hiccup get her to do this? Now she would die out here in the forest and no one would know, and who knows what would happen to the others in the cave. Maybe no one would ever find them.

Her arms flailed in a last ditch attempt to perhaps grab something and save herself. Stupid dragon. Stupid Hiccup. Stupid. Stupid!

Tears came from her eyes and joined the rain in streaking her face. She was sobbing hysterically waiting for everything to go...well for her to hit the ground.

She heard the flap of wings and a familiar shriek and thought, _Decided to stay and watch as I hit the ground, ungrateful thing? Or did you come back for some scrambled viking a la dirt?_

Then something swooped under her and she hit something scaly, hard. She started to slide backwards on the dragon's back, but she quickly reached out and found the pommel of the saddle and hugged it tight.

She lay there clenching Shade's neck as he flew softy, and she caught her breath, she tried to get her sobs under control, but then she realized she was smiling and laughing. Shade's scale's scraped her cheek, and tears flowed freely, and she was laughing. Shade started making a chuffing sound that sounded like he was laughing too. They flew slowly like this for a few moments until Keila got her hysteria under control.

When she got quiet Shade made a rough cooing sound she hadn't heard from him before. She sat up and he bobbed his head gently so that he pulled the handles on the pommel from her fingers and then gave them back to her.

It was like he was asking her to just trust him to steer, to just hang on. She took a deep breath and leaned forward tightening her grip on the pommel. She lifted her shirt against the rain again and said loudly, "To the village!"

* * *

Hiccup paced in front of the rock wall nervously. Everyone else was sitting further back in the cave around a pile of burning pages and bits of fabric that everyone had offered up so they could have some light.

"She should be back by now." Hiccup muttered.

"Hiccup, I swear to Thor if you chill out and sit down I'm going to use your leg as tinder!" Astrid threatened.

"She is probably fine did you see the way she was flying earlier, that was awesome!" Fishlegs bounced in excitement, "That Flashfang is really something!"

"Flashfang?" Hiccup said looking up at Fishlegs.

"Oh yeah I figured it out! Nightshade isn't a new breed he's a Flashfang! A Striker class dragon that emits a bright flash of light when it shoots fire, some people think it's because their fangs are so bright they are reflective."

"Yeah I've heard of them I think, but aren't they usually smaller? I thought they usually aren't much bigger than Terrors. Nightshade's as big as Toothless." Hiccup stated

Fishlegs pulled out his notebook and started flipping through its pages, "I think it just depends on each dragon, like some Leviathans are bigger than others, Nightshade must just be of a larger bloodline. But, he's definitely a Flashfang, same markings, same shot characteristics, same horn and plate structure, same tail structure, same speed capabilities-"

"Uh...yeah Fishlegs I think we get it." Astrid said stopping him.

"Ok...but, the point is Flashfangs are natural born navigators! If they've been somewhere even once they can find it again. Keila will be fine!" Fishlegs blurted trying to get it out before Astrid cut him off again. He looked at her smugly as if he'd won and she shook her head.

Hiccup wrung his hands and looked back the wall blocking them in. Astrid put her hand on his and look I'm in the eyes reassuringly.

Snotlout piped up from his spot next to Hookfang who was laying on his side across from them, "Hiccup he's looking worse."

"Let me take a look."

* * *

Keila felt incredible, it felt as if Nightshade was an extension of her body. They moved together through the storm and soon she could feel that they were close. She could here the rain hitting smooth wood and metal.

"Okay boy, touch down here somewhere."

The wind made it difficult to land. Nightshade's wings kept filling with air and they would float up.

"Try again!" She leaned into him and the tilted towards the sound of water hitting metal. The clinking metal got louder as they approached the ground, too fast. She tried to pull up, but couldn't tell how far they were from the ground, it was too late.

* * *

It had been at least another twenty minutes, the storm outside was starting to weaken. Hiccup jumped in frustration. "Ugh something's happened!"

"You don't know that." Astrid said trying to sound positive.

"I don't know he could be right." Ruffnut said scribbling in the dirt. Astrid spun around glaring at the other girl. Ruff shrugged.

Everyone was worried, in their own way. Snotlout was watching Hookfang closely, even though Hiccup was sure his wing would heal and as for his behavior Hiccup was convinced he was just picking up on Snotlout's strange behavior lately.

Toothless followed Hiccup and nudged him softly, "You're right bud I'm sure she's ok."

"Or she could be lying helpless somewhere in a canyon, all of her bones broken, and wolves are circling in to tear her-"

"YOU ARE NOT HELPING!" Astrid punched Tuffnut in the face.

Hiccup ignored the image as he heard new noises outside, it sounded like voices.

* * *

When the storm had died down a bit Keila, Stoick, Gobber, and a few other villagers went out to find Hiccup and the others. Nightshade led them straight back. Gobber had brought a litter for to carry Hookfang home in and the villagers had their dragons carry the injured Nightmare home.

When they had cleared the fallen rocks away Hiccup had all but tackled Keila, followed by Astrid and Fishlegs. They cheered and gave her a few I told you so's to both her and Hiccup.

Hiccup couldn't help but notice her face was all scratched up and she had new bumps and bruises all over, which she later explained as a "bad landing." Hiccup made a mental note to find a way to help Keila map out Berk from the air. Wind chimes maybe?

When they returned home Gobber set away on working on Hookfangs injured wing, and Keila told Hiccup all about her experience with Shade, and how once she calmed down it was like she was seeing through him, strangely enough.

Hiccup felt a strong sense of triumph as he watched his cousin with her new best friend, he could already see the bond becoming stronger.

A couple days after the storm the were all in the arena playing a game Hiccup had come up with to help strengthen the trust between the riders and their dragons, Keila had inspired it. The riders were blind folded and they had to let their dragons lead them through a series of obstacles, some mounted, some walking.

Keila and Shade were already the best at the game, at least until Hiccup suggested they switch roles and have the dragon be blind folded. To which Keila started to protest until Hiccup beat her to the chase suggesting she sit out, then she knew she had to do it. After a few tries she and Shade were both able to do the course leading each other.

Everyone else wanted to try it with both dragons and riders blind too, but the twins were have a hard enough time agreeing when they weren't blindfolded and their dragon was already confused. Snotlout and Hookfang were doing slightly better, but despite Hookfang's wing being in a sling the dragon still kept trying to launch the blind Snotlout into some of the more dangerous obstacles.

Hiccup and Toothless of course took only a few tries to get it pretty much perfect, followed by Astrid and Stormfly. It seemed though Keila would always be the champion in this particular challenge.

They all stood around grooming their dragons after class and Astrid walked up to Hiccup who was absentmindedly watching Keila feeling under Shade's chin for his sweet spot.

"You did good." Astrid said softly to him.

Hiccup looked at her in surprise, "Oh? Is that a compliment? Well, you know I didn't really do anything, it was all-"

Astrid shoved his shoulder, "Shut up." She pecked his cheek and walked away.

Across the ring Keila rubbed her hands all over Shade's back massaging where he didn't have hard plates blocking her.

She heard feet shuffling to her side, as if someone was sneaking by.

"Snotlout." she called.

"How do you always know?" He said turning back.

"I can hear you trying to go by, and you have a particular aroma." Keila said smiling, and trying to look in the direction of his voice.

"Oh..." Snotlout said sounding uneasy.

"What is wrong with you? Usually that would at least get me a _'that's 100% man you're smelling baby' or 'that's the aroma of love!'_ Nothing?" Keila said shocked.

Snotlout just shuffled his feet.

Keila scoffed, "Gods you're being weird." She started to give up and turn around when she heard a very soft, "Sorry."

"What?"

"I-I'm sorry, about your eyes."

Keila stood in silence for a moment. "Is that why you've been so weird around me? For Thor's sake Snotlout! That wasn't your fault! That wasn't anyone's fault, except maybe mine I had no business being where I was. It. Was. An. Accident. Besides the twins were just as much a part of that whole thing as you were and they are fine."

Snotlout was quiet, Keila almost wondered if he had left, but she could hear Hookfang biting at his sling to her left.

"Gods, Snotlout I didn't know you could be this sensitive."

She heard him sniff softly, and then he said his voice completely changed from before, "Oh yeah sensitive about you baby..."

Keila smiled, "And, he's back."

She said goodbye and went with Hiccup back to their house.

Later that night she sat curled up next to Shade as Hiccup drew at his desk, just enjoying each other's company. Finally she broke the silence as she traced a scale on Shade's shoulder.

"Hiccup?"

"Hmm?"

"What...what does Shade look like?"

"Hmmm...oh." Hiccup realized she'd never actually seen the dragon, "Where do you want me to start?"

"What color is he?"

"He is dark red with dark spots in places, and some yellow on his horns and the plates on his back."

"Tell me about those."

"He has two horns on either side of his head that are about as long as your forearm, and smaller horns underneath those. In-between those all the way down his back he has thick plates, and they are also on his forearms and thighs. He stands about the same height as Toothless and has a similar body structure. His wings are large and he has a large fan on his tail. The main difference is that his head is slightly more pointed like a Nightmare's and his neck is about as long as a horse's. His eyes yellow...uh. He has a scar on his wing, but you knew that...uh...it looks like he has another scar on his left flank-"

"What does that look like? Can you tell what might have caused it?" Keila urged.

"Uh...maybe a fisherman's pike, looks about that size, hatchet maybe, but it looks more like a spear. Why? What-"

"When he shoot's fire does it look like a white flash?"

"Yes, Keila what it is it?"

Keila was now standing up away from Shade who was looking up at her wondering why his petting had stopped.

"L-last question, does he have a dark mark on on side of his tail, on the fin?"

"Yes, right side."

Hiccup watched Keila carefully, several different emotions seemed to play across her face, and she was quiet for a very long time. Then she finally seemed to settle on an emotion, acceptance.

"So it's you." she said.

"Keila what is it?" Hiccup said pushing his chair out to stand. Toothless woke up from his nap in the corner and looked up.

"The day my parents died I went for a walk along the beach. I saw a dragon in the air off the coast and decided to watch it. I should have gotten out of sight, but it was so fast and so sleek, I hadn't seen one like it before. It dove in and out of the water trying to catch fish. Then it saw me and started flying for the shore. It landed in front of me and started sniffing me curiously. I held out my dagger, but didn't run, I don't know why. It didn't like my dagger being pointed at it, but that was the least of its worries because, about then my parent's fishing skiff came around the bend. They saw the dragon and me and immediately began attacking with their minimal weapons. The dragon turned its attention on them and started fighting back. The ship went down, and the dragon flew away wounded, and bleeding. I assumed he'd died."

"Nightshade is..."

"The dragon that caused my parent's death, yes."

"Keila..." Hiccup's voice held a warning, but she had already processed what he was going to say.

"It's okay I don't blame him, Hiccup...It's okay." She stepped forward and pressed her hand to Shade's nose and he pressed back.

She needed him now, and whether he liked it or not he needed her too.

This was her new life now. A life on Berk. A life without her sight. A life with Hiccup and the others. A life having to learn everything over again. A life with Nightshade.

A life with dragons

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys thanks for reading this story it's one of my favorites of my old stories, and I once planned to write a sequel, and maybe I still will one day!


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